Much Ado About Nothing
by ghostdominion6
Summary: A sequel to 'As You Like It': The repercussions of the calamity trigger start to become clear. What happens when lighthearted fluff... develops a plot? What can transpire when the mysterious narrator starts to question his own role? ...And just who is supposed to be the main character, anyways? ...Man, why is this yuri story so confusing... and so freaking long?
1. Act I: It's a Golden Show

Two figures stood atop a dramatic battleground; A meeting place for derelict spirits. The fabled calamity trigger had led to this eventuality. The end of it all was swiftly approaching. By the end of this day, only one would remain standing, and that lone victor would determine everything.

The one on the left was a mysterious samurai-esque figure clad entirely in white and black armor, with numerous eyes spaced about. The oddest aspect of the enigma, however, was the absence of a face.

The right figure, contrarily, was clad in a classy black suit, and wore a slimy grin at all times. He had green hair, and gave off the essence of a snake. Only the truly dense would think he was a good guy.

One represented lawful justice; the other represented pure chaos. They stared at each other for a few tense moments, when suddenly, both men sprang to life.

The ensuing match consisted of the samurai slicing through the air with his enormously long sword, while the snake dodged with little effort. The faceless representative of justice tried with all his might, but his blows never connected; The suited villain jumped about way too manicky.

The bad guy repeatedly shot out a snake-like chain at the armor-plated hero, damaging him immensely. The faceless man retorted with a large shockwave sent out from his blade, miraculously connecting with his opponent, and sending him flying across the arena. The suited man burst back up from the ground, and immediately continued his relentless assault. The hero could only guard so much. Eventually, he was launched a fair distance, as well.

The snake sauntered over to his opponent slowly, menacingly. The samurai launched one last attack, slicing upwards from his prostrate position. The green guy was hurled upwards, but recovered in midair. He cackled, and dashed forwards.

Catching the armored hero off-guard, he attempted a devastating super-kick, which connected. The blow sent him upwards, higher than ever before. The figure of justice did not have any time to recover, for, when he landed on the earth below, the figure of chaos unleashed an apparent wave of green snakes. The fiendish beasts savagely lashed out, finishing off our only hope.

The clear villain grinned slyly, and removed his tie. He had taken the day; Chaos would rule from this moment on.

"Zahama Wins!" Cried an unseen voice from somewhere in the heavens.

"NOOOOOO!" Noire cried in exasperation as she stared at the screen; She had lost once again.

"Yeah! I'm so awesome! Sowwy, Noirey, but the hero always wins. It's, like, the law, or somethin'!" Neptune gleamed, while cuddling against the tsundere's face.

Lady Black Heart sighed in total defeat, and succumbed to the ditz's assault of hugs and glomps...

**Prologue: Kirihirake! Grace Star**

Narrator: In the year 20XX, Gamindustri faces a dire crisis. On one fateful night, two goddesses of two separate lands joined together in one intense night of passion. The very next morning, the two CPU Candidates of the very same lands pronounced their love for each other. If that wasn't enough, yet another seemingly insignificant couple was formed on a separate land mass at the very same moment. Romance was blossoming, but Gamindustri has never faced a problem like this before. What will possibly happen if two nations are joined together as one? Personally, I...

"Hello! Is anyone there?" A voice bellowed from somewhere below. The narrator looked around in apparent confusion, until he found the source of the mysterious voice. Right at the landing of his tall narrator's podium stood someone with long, blue hair, and a long, flowing red scarf. This was... unexpected...

"Um... hi, what do you want?" The Narrator asked with restraint. He slowly descended from his podium, until he could clearly see his guest.

"What are you doing, calling out to the heavens so fiercely?"

"Um, well, I'm narrating... It's kinda my thing...?" From what he knew, narrators usually didn't associate with others.  
"Why narrate when there is evil afoot! If justice is being quelled by the wicked force of villainy, action must be taken!" the mysterious figure proclaimed, passion burning in their eyes.

"Okay, I don't know who you are, but can you please leave? I'm trying to start this... romance story..." He apparently really wanted to get this story over and done with.

The guest didn't pay the man any heed. "Well, never fear, lone citizen! Gamindustri's Heroine of Justice has arrived! Evildoers, beware! My mighty swift kick of divine judgement will deliver a harsh sentence on your very souls!"

"Oh God... listen, this is no place for little boys. Please get out of here." Horrible thing to say.

"Li-Little boy? LITTLE BOY!? I am NOT a LITTLE BOY! You dare mock a heroine such as myself? I... I'll tear you apart with my fists of just retribution!" The narrator looked around in mild distress as Nisa, Gamindustri's very own flatty Heroine of Justice, flung herself at the narrator of this upcoming story.

"He-Hey! Get off of me! I need to get on with this. It's very important!" Nisa halted her assault for a moment, and glared at the... man. Now that she got a good look at him, she realized that she couldn't see who this person actually was. His entire body was shrouded by a black cloak, and no face could be seen beneath the darkness. Whoever he was, something was off about him. Nisa decided then and there that she would stick around with this narrator. He didn't feel like an enemy of love and justice, but there was something... sinister about him.., and familiar...

"Fine, I will not hold you back any longer. However, if you are to go on with your mission, I must demand that I be allowed to observe you. I must make sure that you will not spread evil with your stories." Nisa boldly declared, trying to save face. The narrator sighed.

"Do whatever you want, just don't distract me." The narrator cleared his throat and, in a booming voice, declared...

**Chapter 1: Ao-iconoclast**

It has been three weeks since that fateful night in which the world shook. Such an earth-rattling development was made, and yet, for all intents and purposes, not much had changed. Sure, two goddesses were now basking in the brilliant glow of love each and every night, but their communion was a secret to everyone else. However, things were about to change, it seemed...

Noire rolled off of Neptune in a daze, gasping for air. The purple-haired ditz was equally stunned, a huge grin spread across her face. Both lay in relative silence for a good three minutes, just staring up at the ceiling. Finally, they spoke, if only to prove that they were still alive.

"...Wow..." Noire gasped in exasperation. She chuckled nervously, and glanced over at her unlikely lover. Neptune slowly gazed back at the tsundere, and smiled mischievously.

"I know you get desperate, Noirey, but I didn't think you'd do THAT to me." Planeptune's goddess gleamed with delight. Noire blushed, but didn't look away; couldn't look away. These past nights had been the greatest moments of her life, although she could never bring herself to admit it. Expressing her love for the ditz filled her with so many emotions, almost more than she could handle.

Noire didn't answer immediately, but instead pulled Neptune closer to her in a tight hug. The purple-haired goddess nuzzled their cheeks together. "You really had fun, huh?" she exclaimed with wonderment.

"N-not as much as you!" Noire replied, a bit too loud. She became flustered way too easily, a fact that Neptune exploited for all it was worth.

"Come on, you had a blast. I mean, you were in charge the entire time~" she sang out. The tsundere blushed a deeper shade of red. Try as she might, she couldn't offer a single rebuttal to that claim.

Neptune sighed happily and snuggled even closer. She lightly brushed her lips against Noire's ear. "Hey... can I ask ya' something? It's kinda important... Like, super-mega-ultra important..." The black-haired girl was partly taken-aback upon hearing the sincerity in the ditz's voice.

"Sure, of course... w-what is it?" Neptune adjusted herself so that her face was directly in front of her lover's.

"Like, we've been doin' this for a few weeks now, right? Well, maybe it's time we should... break the news to everyone. Tell 'em we're off the market, y'know?"

Noire didn't fully realize it, but she brightened up upon hearing Neptune's suggestion. "You... you want to reveal that we're... together?"

"Yeah! Definitely! I don't want anyone to try to take my Noiwwy-poo away fwom me. So, what do ya say?"

Noire thought for a brief moment, already knowing what her reply would be, whether she wanted to say it or not. "I-I think I'd like that... How about tomorrow? We'll gather everyone up... and tell them the truth. W-we got nothing to hide, right?"

Neptune cheered at Noire's simple answer, although she was a bit surprised that she was so accepting. Usually, the tsundere would have acted entirely embarrassed and rejected her for the first few moments before consenting.

"I knew you'd understand. I love you." the ditz cooed. Noire felt like she was in heaven whenever she heard those words. She responded by delicately kissing her purple-haired lover. Neptune easily returned the kiss, as it was impossible for her to even think of not doing so.

Such a tender loving scene this has been! However, trouble looms slightly overhead, as Lady Black Heart had realized all along. How would everyone react to this news? She worried incessantly that her friends and allies would not support her, or, worse yet, actively turn aganst her.

No, that's not correct. Sure, she worried about shocking her companions, but she was certain that they would be fine with everything. All of them, besides one. Noire was scared to death over how one particular person would react. Everything would hinge on that single reaction...

However, Noire knew that Neptune was not so easily defeated. If any resistance popped up, that purple-haired ditz would see to it that it gets nipped in the butt. That is, if this potential opponent could be stopped at all...

* * *

Narrator looked up from the book he was reading, and glanced over at Nisa. Her face was entirely red, and she stared down at the floor.

"Hey... you alright?" he asked.

"W-w-w-w-why would you read something like that!? That was such an invasion of privacy! How can I call myself an upholder of justice after spying on two fellow heroines like that!?" Nisa yelled, completely flustered. She continued staring down at her feet.

"Look, I don't read this crap; I'm just the narrator. My only job is to provide beginning exposition and read the chapter titles. Everything else is... out of my control."

Nisa looked up at the cloaked figure, and slightly scowled. "If you are not the one dictating this, who is?"

The narrator shrugged. "That, I am not sure. I'm just here to set off his spiel. His identity is of no concern to me."

Nisa wasn't satisfied with the answer, but she let that particular issue slide. "Well, why are you narrating a story about my friends?"

The narrator sighed. "Listen, this is just a quick job to get me by. Leave me alone, and let me get on with this. The faster I get this over with, the sooner we can all put this behind us."

"But why my fellow comrades in the never-ending battle for justice? They saved the entire planet before! Shouldn't we be... more respectful of their privacy?"

The narrator grew progressively more annoyed as this... girl... continued to spew more time-wasting words. However, he maintained his composure; this would all be over soon, and by the end, he would have what he wanted.

"I don't like spying on people's lives either, but it's... very important right now. If you quiet down, I may just let you in on a little secret..."

Nisa squinted at the figure, still unsure what to make of him. He wasn't lying, it seemed. Still, this all seemed pretty sketchy.

However, Nisa's curious side kicked in at hearing the word 'secret', so she agreed to silence herself.

The narrator noted her silence and nodded slightly. "Good. Now, let's get through this section, then I'll share what I know."

The figure once again cleared his throat, straightened himself, and boldly announced...

**Chapter 2: Pursuing My True Self**

As you savvy onlookers have probably guessed, those two Goddesses are not the only two who have approaching trials on the horizon. No, this calamity trigger has brought about rising tension for everyone involved on that fateful night. However, not all of their problems are the same. In fact, one particular couple is set to face the strongest enemy of all: their own selves.

Let's drop in on these conflicted maidens, shall we?

IF stirred in her sleep; yet another... restless night, it seemed. The world of dreams, as you... probably know... now wait a moment! Haven't we gone over this before?

Either way, the young Iffy still had problems sleeping, though brought about by something slightly different from last time. Perhaps her new-found relationship is to blame?

Could this battle-hardened veteran be reconsidering the situation she had helped get herself into?

IF slowly opens her eyes and briefly looks around the room. It wasn't hers, that's for certain. She was about to sit up, but a violent headache surfaced throughout her temples at that very moment.

"Aw, crap! What the hell?" she swore blatantly to no one in particular. Only once before had she felt such pain in her head. It was then that she realized that... she had gone through this all before.

There was no migraine, was there? She was about to sit straight up, but then remembered what would happen next. There would be no further instant flashes of pain. Instead, a soft hand would lightly grasp her wrist. When this premonition came true, IF couldn't help but yelp in slight surprise.

"Iffy-poo, where are you going...?" a soft voice mumbled, the sound obscured by pillows. Iffy gulped and looked next to her. Lying beside her was a face-down girl with long, beautiful light pink hair. She was visibly naked, the blankets only covering the most vital points of her body. The brunette's spine shivered, and she broke out in a cold sweat. 5pb, Gamindustri's star idol, was lying next to her in bed...

Wait, this wasn't 5pb! No, 5pb has blue hair! This mysterious stranger has light pink hair... What has Miss IF done!?

IF was equally surprised at the woman before her very eyes. Compa, Gamindustri's nurse-in-training, was lying naked next to her in bed. Compa, her BEST FRIEND, was lying naked next to her in bed.

This familiar scene was much more horrific than the actual original. IF's confusion over the whole debacle with 5pb earlier had been partially manufactured, as part of some overly complicated scheme put in motion by Leanbox's CPU to combat the scheme put in motion by Leanbox's oracle... a hairy ordeal, to say the least.

However, IF really had no idea how this present scene came to be. On top of possibly destroying her life-long friendship with Compa, she had also betrayed 5pb, her girlfriend. How did it come to this!?

"C-C-C-Compa...What... what happened!?... Oh, please forgive me! I'm so sorry! Oh God, I'm so stu-" the brunette cried, too flustered to form coherent thoughts. However, Compa calmly sat up and placed her finger on IF's mouth, cutting her short.

"Jeez, you get embarrassed so easily, Iffy. Just... come closer..." the nurse seductively whispered. Yep, IF was completely and utterly flabbergasted. The Compa she knew could never talk like this. It was impossible.

"Compa, please... this is wrong!" IF whined, struggling to break free from her friend's grasp. Horrifically, though, she realized that she was barely putting up a struggle at all. Did she actually enjoy being this close to her best friend?

"Relax, Iffy-poo. Like you said, we've worked hard lately. We need some relaxation time~" With that, Compa softly placed her lips upon the stunned brunette's. She, reluctantly(?), melted into the kiss. The two childhood friends were, for a single moment, one and the same. Passion unexplored emanated throughout their very souls. Everything was perfect...

However, IF suddenly snapped back into reality. She broke from the kiss and jumped from the bed. Without a word, she fled from the room, forgetting that she was stark naked.

The conflicted brunette ran as fast as she could. She finally recognized her whereabouts as Lady Green Heart's residence, the same place where she had started her relationship with the pop idol. If she was here, than where was Lyrica?

She froze in her tracks as she heard the light sound of a guitar playing at the end of the hall. IF quickly dashed into the slightly open room, but was taken aback by what she found inside.

On the bed right in front of her, Lady Green Heart lay on her back, wearing what appeared to be Chika's standard attire. A small radio sat on a nearby table, playing a rock song from some famous classic artist.

"Miss IF! Oh, how I knew you would choose me! Pardon my brazen words, but take me now. I've been waiting for you for all this time..." Vert cooed, beckoning the brunette with her finger. IF stared at the scene that neither gods nor mere mortals could resist, and gulped. Thoughts couldn't even come to her at this moment. As she grew up, IF had always favored Leanbox's CPU to the other three, though she'd never tell that to anyone. Seeing this was either a dream come true, or a total punch in the childhood.

Still, IF had to keep herself under control. She couldn't betray 5pb anymore than she already had. Although, finding the right words when under extreme pressure was not one of her strong suits. "Lady Vert, please... make yourself decent. I'm in a... bit of trouble, and I could use your help. Have you seen 5pb anywhere?" She looked away from the goddess as she spoke.

Vert chuckled lightly. "Why, I'm modest compared to you right now. At least I'm wearing something." IF looked down in horror, and realized at last that she was clad in absolutely nothing.

"Ah, crap. I'm-I'm sorry, Lady Vert. This is so embarrassing. I'll just go... put something on then. Tell me if she shows up anywhere..." IF slowly turned towards the door, but watched fearfully as it slammed shut. Vert had transformed into her HDD form, and had manipulated the door.

"Do not be embarrassed, Miss IF. I have been looking for a suitable mate for the longest time now. Once I laid my eyes on you, well, I knew that my search was over." Vert slowly got off the bed and hovered over to the frightened girl. She rubbed her hand across her soft cheek. "You are very beautiful, IF. Anyone would be grateful to have you as a wife. I will be sure to treat you as though you were of royal, nay, divine blood."

IF looked into the goddess' eyes. Why was Vert saying these things? What the hell was going on today? And why did she feel so good, so complete, right now?

"Hehe... and, to top it all off," Vert clutched IF's hips, causing the girl to yelp in surprise, "you are so deliciously developed. You have the perfect hips for bearing children. Our offspring shall be the most perfect in all of Gamindustri!"

IF's eyes opened wide with shock. "C-c-c-c-c-c-c-children!? N-n-n-n-nononononononono! I couldn't... how would that even work!?"

Vert's eyes flashed brightly, like a freshly kindled flame. "I have my methods..." Leanbox's CPU said with a knowing grin on her face. The brunette stared with horror and slight interest. Would marrying Lady Green Heart be such a bad thing. She'd be taken care of for life, and she'd be given a lot of power and love. However, the children topic was weirding her out...

No! She promised to stay true to 5pb! She couldn't just abandon her like this...

Before she could say anything, the window in the room shattered, and in flew... a golden dragon? It traveled around the room, pretty quiet as far as dragons are concerned. Vert made a slight glance at the strange invader and lightly chuckled. She then proceeded to playfully push the naked IF onto the bed.

"Accept me, 'Iffy', and I will make sure you spend the rest of your days in complete happiness. I love you. Will you love me?" Vert pronounced in her most seductive tone ever. The battle-hardened veteran was speechless. Not only was Vert acting completely out of it, but she was also paying little-to-no heed to the dragon that had just burst into the room.

However, the surprises weren't completely done just yet. A loud banging resonated from the shut door, when suddenly, it flew right off of its hinges. Compa, her incredibly large syringe poised in the air, stood on the other side. "Leave my Iffy-poo alone!" She shouted, and jumped onto the goddess' back. Vert was caught off-guard.

"Hey!... Get off of me! Miss IF loves me, not you, you curvaceous bimbo." Lady Green Heart thrashed about wildly, but Compa wouldn't let go.

"No, Iffy loves me, you... meanie!" she shouted, trying to sound tough. As the struggle commenced, IF failed to notice that the golden dragon had begun to circle around herself. She realized to late, and felt the beast tighten around her waist. She was being constricted! And her two contesting 'lovers' didn't notice a thing.

'Help!' She tried to scream, but nothing came out. The dragon, after one last circle around her, stared directly into her eyes. IF, in a complete daze, swore she heard a soft voice, not quite familiar, but not completely unknown. This feeling of slight wonderment was ended abruptly, though, as the dragon lurched forward, consuming the brunette...

What a sorry end for one of our maidens! Oh, how horrible... oh, wait...

IF lurched upright with a gasp, reinforcing one of the oldest clichés in the book. She was sweating all over, and couldn't steady her breath. That was the most vivid dream yet. In fact, it seemed as if it wasn't a mere dream. It seemed more like some plot from a crappy fanfiction.

After calming down a bit, she turned her head slowly. Lying beside her was a fully clothed 5pb, sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. IF exhaled a sigh of relief, then lay back down. She loved Lyrica... right? Why did these dreams keep popping up? Compa, Vert... was her mind telling her something?

She stared at her first girlfriend, and smiled sadly. Despite the deception that had been used to bring them together, the two had done nothing more than lightly kiss. Why, then, did she have such... graphic dreams, graphic thoughts, of her friends? That scared her more than anything...

"Jeez, I'm getting too soft..."

Oh well, she thought. She'd just have to worry about this some other time. Right now, she wanted to snuggle up to the pop idol and drift back to a hopefully calmer sleep...

This was only the beginning...

* * *

Narrator breathed a slow sigh of relief, and looked up. Nisa was once again looking down in embarrassment. For a moment, they were both silent. Finally, Narrator spoke up.

"Hm... there wasn't supposed to be a dream sequence, at least from what I was told..." He said, hoping to break the ice. He wasn't too good in social situations, especially as of late. Nisa slowly looked up, one cheek puffed in frustration.

"What is this story!? Why must we witness things like that?" Nisa thought for a bit, then came to a sudden realization. "Wait, that's it! You... you're a pervert! Wah, all this time, you've been an evil fiend, stalking my friends! Well, I'll deliver swift retribution on your devious ways!" Nisa jumped in the air and prepared a jump kick for the ages.

Narrator recoiled back, but could not avoid the blow. He was sent flying a fair distance. "Ahh! What the hell're you doing!? I'm no pervert! Stop!" Nisa stopped her incoming attack, and surveyed the cloaked being.

"Then how else can you explain this horrid story you are presenting?"

The man looked up, and shook his head. "I have been given some crucial information that hints that your friends are in dire trouble. Now, do you want them to live or not!?" Nisa flinched at being yelled at like that.

"T-trouble? They're in danger!?" the heroine of justice stammered. What injustice was at play here?

"I believe so. I... I've been assigned to watch over everyone in secret. It is my duty to spot something suspicious, and act accordingly. My superiors have been keeping mostly to themselves. They claim, though, that I will be able to identify the threat instantly once it pops up."

Nisa listened to the clunky exposition, and squinted her eyes in slight untrust. "Who are your superiors? And how do they know all this?"

Narrator chuckled softly, and shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea. They're the guys that pay me. I don't ask anything else." Nisa pouted a bit more, but accepted his poor answer. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I don't read these things in advance. Hell, I don't even have the next part yet. As far as I know, these scenes are happening right as we see them. Whoever's supplying the way to view these events would be the most perverted, if anything."

Gamindustri's heroine of justice thought about everything, but wasn't fully satisfied. If this was all happening in real-time, for example, then how could the viewing of that dream sequence be explained? Either way, she let Narrator off the hook... for now.

Nisa was about to ask a question, when a ding sounded out. "Hold on...Ah, another piece." Narrator said as a manuscript seemingly appeared out of nowhere into his hands. Nisa looked shocked for a moment.

"Is that how you get these scenes!?" She asked, quite flustered over the strange sight.

"Eh, more or less." Not an answer. "Hm, this seems to hint that something important is about to happen. May give us a clue. Shall we begin?" Narrator turned his hooded face towards Nisa, who could only nod, eyes still enlarged.

"Ehem..."

**Chapter 3: Ryuusei no Bifrost**

The fateful morning had finally dawned on the two CPU lovers. Today, they would finally break the news to their companions. Despite her best efforts, Noire couldn't steady her heart one bit. This was her judgement day.

Today, apart from the obvious, was also the scheduled day for Lady Black Heart to make her return to Lastation. As far as anyone knew, Noire had resided in Planeptune these past weeks for 'official business' that only CPUs could perform. Compa and Nepgear were expected not to question anything, but the tsundere had to wonder why Histoire or Kei didn't speak out.

Either way, she would be returning home today. However, she had invited the residents of Neptune's house to come along for the journey. This would provide a convenient way to out themselves to their friends and comrades. Hopefully, all would be well.

"Whelp, I'm all packed and ready! How 'boutchu, Noirey?" Neptune gleamed. She had just filled up the largest suitcase Lady Black Heart had ever seen.

"Yeah... almost..." she replied. She was amazed at how much stuff she had actually brought over here in the first place. Her clothes, her personal tchotchkes, her guitar; It was almost as if Neptune's room had become her own as well. Thinking about that made her blush a bit. It was as if they were already married... and Noire couldn't deny that she was happy about that.

One long stretch of silence...

"So... you ready yet?" the purple-haired ditz asked.

It was going to be a long day.

About twenty minutes later, the packing was complete. Of course, Noire had been delayed due to being playfully tackled by Lady Purple Heart. However, not too much precious time had been lost.

The two headed downstairs, and came upon Nepgear. "Oh, are you two ready?" She asked innocently.

Neptune dashed forward and glomped her younger sister. "You betcha, Nep Jr! You ready to rock Lastation to the ground?"

Noire stepped forward and bonked Planeptune's CPU on the head. "Leave your sister alone, Neptune. And you will do no such thing to my nation!"

Neptune frowned as huge as she could, and waltzed downtrodden out of the room. Nepgear hesitantly cocked her head to one side and smiled.

"Geez, I don't get her sometimes... So, Nepgear, how is everything? You've been leaving the house a lot lately..." Noire asked nonchalantly.

Nepgear grew slightly flustered at the question. Three weeks ago, she and Uni, Noire's younger sister, had pronounced their love for each other. Since that day, they saw each other whenever they could. Nepgear usually left her house before Neptune woke up, whilst Uni claimed to Kei that she was training to surpass her sister's strength. The charade had worked better than the two had hoped, as their older sisters seemed to be too preoccupied with other things to notice them.

Neptune had always seemed a bit suspicious; Noire, though, had never spoken up about noticing Nepgear's daily habits. She was accordingly thrown off.

"Oh, um, I've just been going to the arcade with a friend. They've been having discount prices lately..." the young girl partially lied. Sometimes, she and Uni did venture to the arcade, but certainly not everyday. And friends usually don't make out on the park bench...

Noire stared for a moment, but nodded. Her expression gave nothing away to the young purple-haired candidate. "That sounds fun. Maybe I'll go with you some day."

"Ah...sure, that does sounds like fun." Nepgear closed her eyes and smiled, still quite flustered. Before anything else could be said, Histoire floated into the room.

"Ah, good morning, you two. Is everyone ready to embark?" Planeptune's small oracle asked gently. Nepgear nodded and sighed in relief; She was safe from Noire's questions for a little while.

"Oh, so you're goin' too, Histy?" Neptune inquired upon stumbling back into the room.

"Yes, although I would have gone regardless. Kei called me late last night. It appears that something of importance has caught her attention. However, don't mind us. You have fun." Histoire smiled.

"Alright, Histy's comin'! Now it's a party!" Neptune sprang in the air several times. Noire sighed and stepped forward.

"It's not anything serious, right?" Lady Black Heart wondered.

"No, I'm sure it's nothing. Kei's probably stressed out of her mind, is all. You haven't been around for weeks, you know. I believe she's lonely."

Noire rolled her eyes. "Kei being lonely? Yeah, like that's even possible."

Nepgear spoke up out of nowhere. "Hey, is Compa back yet? Oh, I hope she didn't get lost again..." Compa's grandfather had called her over yesterday to investigate some 'strange alien abomination' in the front lawn, but it turned out to just be a fern. Seeing as how it was getting late, the nurse-in-training stayed over his house for the night.

"She better get here soon; Our ship's supposed to leave within the hour." Noire declared in exasperation. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Neptune sang as she lurched to the door. The medic stood on the other side, carrying a very large bag.

"Nep-Nep!" she cheered.

"Compa!" the purple-haired ditz hollered back. They then snuggled their faces together. Even though they saw each other on a regular basis, they seemed to always greet with this type of fanfare after being away for more than a few hours.

After a few moments, the two broke their embrace. "Phew, sorry about taking so long. The dogoos are really rampant this time of year."

"Hey, don't worry about that. So, you ready to rock on outta here!?" Neptune gleamed.

"I sure am. Let's see... yep, I brought my syringe... another syringe... my tea set... extra clothes... Yeah, all ready!" Only Compa could carry around multiple large syringes and not garner any suspicious glances... Oh, and she only briefly glanced over her belongings, explaining how she overlooked something quite odd...

"Awesomepants! Well, what're we waitin' for? Let's go, homies!" With that, the girls proceeded to leave Planeptune on their rented ship.

'Twas a fair distance from Planeptune to Lastation, but this vehicle made the journey rather short, all things considered. Within no time, Noire's land came into view.

"Wow, just imagine Noirey: Once your citizens see there's only women on this ship, they'll all think you have a harem. How awesome!... Hm, we really should start a harem, huh?" Neptune inquired. It was hard to peg whether she was kidding, or completely serious.

"D-Don't get any crazy ideas! My people aren't sick old perverts like you. Lastation's citizens have class..." Noire had to wonder what her citizens thought of her long absence, though.

In a matter of minutes, the ship dropped anchor, and the group proceeded to Lady Black Heart's residence. At the door waited Lastation's oracle, Kei Jinguji.

"Welcome, everyone. Hm, seems like we'll be having a full house." Kei greeted, although it was anything but welcoming.

"Hi Kei. It's nice to see you again." Nepgear said, holding out her hand. Kei scrutinized the candidate's hand for a moment, then shook it.

"It's nice to see you too, Nepgear." The oracle replied, a slight smile on her face.

Noire stepped forward and nodded towards her stand-in. "Hello, Kei. Has everything been all right since I've left?"

"Yes, everything is as it should be. I'm not so incompetent as to be helpless for three weeks." Just a normal conversation for the two.

After a few more minutes of catching up and getting greetings out-of-the-way, the girls headed inside and began making themselves at home.

"Wow, Nep Jr, you got ol' Kei to smile! I always thought she was a cyborg, or an android, or whatever." Lady Purple Heart remarked to her sister. Nepgear blushed.

"Kei's actually really nice, once you look past her serious demeanor."

"She's built outta seriousness, like, for reals! Once, I snuck into her room, and I saw her put this crazy machine into her mouth. It must be for refueling!"

Nepgear patted her older sister's head. "I'm sure that was just her toothbrush."

"Maybe... But I'm keeping my eyes on her." With that, Neptune sauntered off, presumably to harass Noire.

Planeptune's CPU Candidate sighed, then quietly snuck upstairs. She ventured to the door at the end of the hall. Peeking inside, she called "Uni, are you in here?"

Noire's younger sister was sleeping soundly, which was odd at this time of day. Perhaps she was tired from her constant trips to Planeptune. Nepgear smiled and rubbed the tsundere's head. Uni's eyes slowly opened.

"N-Nepgear!? You're here already?" she remarked in shock. Her eyes instantly lit up.

Nepgear hugged her girlfriend in response. "Yep, we all just got here. There's no rush, though. You can go back to sleep."

Uni's face turned a deep crimson. "Ca...Can you stay with me then?"

"Of course. I'll lay right here, if you'd like." Nepgear softly crawled underneath the covers, and cuddled up against her fellow CPU candidate.

Uni felt at peace as she heard her soul-mate's soft breaths. Their eyes met, and both were instantly overcome with emotion.

"I love you so much, Nepgear."

"Aw, I love you too, Uni. More than you could imagine."

With that, both soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber. Ah, what pure, innocent passion! Why, my very heart tremors with excitement at the sight of these two maidenly lovers! Nothing could ever come between such untainted infatuation. Nothing could ever even come close to breaking these two apart!

...  
...Nothing could... right?  
...

Anyways, Kei and Histoire, meanwhile, had snuck aside to discuss the state of Gamindustri.

"So, what did you request me for?" the book fairy questioned. Kei took out a sheet of paper and analyzed it a bit.

"I received a call from Mina yesterday. It seems a swarm of dragons have invaded Lowee. No destruction has been reported, though. If I were to guess, they are merely in mating season. Regardless, she figured it would be wise to bring White Heart and the two candidates here for the time being. I thought that, perhaps, you could provide some assistance."

Histoire thought about what she'd been told, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's the best course of action. We can't endanger the young ones. I'll help in any way I can." So, for the next few days, Blanc, Ram, and Rom would be staying here along with Neptune's party; Sounds like the set-up for some short-lived sitcom!

Hm, but what about their comrades still on Leanbox? Surely they must have some reason to venture forth to Lastation. That way, all the actors will be in play.

"Ready Vert?!" Chika excitedly asked her 'sister'. Lady Green Heart sighed.

"Not yet, Chika. You just finished your massage a few minutes ago; I have yet to get dressed."

Leanbox's oracle's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Then let me help you with that! So, what'll it be today?"

"Hmm... surprise me." It seems Vert and Chika were getting ready to attend a game expo on, you guessed it, Lastation! Now, Chika was not the most avid gamer, but she could not turn down an opportunity to see her darling Vert in new outfits.

They would, of course, attempt to hide their identities, although Lady Green Heart would be recognizable in any costume. Remaining incognito, however, was not needed for this event. Hosted by Avenir, citizens and goddesses from all nations were invited. Turns out, Lady Purple Heart's party had been too preoccupied with themselves to remember this upcoming extravaganza. Oh, I long to see how they react when the memory resurfaces in their minds!

IF and 5pb, taking residence in Vert's house, were also preparing to embark for the expo. Iffy secretly hoped that it would help her clear her mind up a bit.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've attended a game expo. I hope there're rhythm games there." 5 proclaimed, stars in her eyes. IF smiled.

"They have everything at these things. I'm sure you'll find a lot of games you'll like." she replied, scratching her head. Lyrica smiled back, then hugged IF from behind.

"You'll be my tour guide, right?" she asked innocently.

The brunette blushed and melted into the hug. "You know I will." For now, nothing more needed to be said.

Well, would you look at that! Coincidence is bringing the family back together! Strive forth, my actors! The stage is ready for you all!

...Oh, that's not everybody, you say? W-well, I'm sure the rest will show up soon... Either way, each of these maidens (and not-so-maidens) will be reunited in the coming hours. How tremendous!...

...Little did any of them know, this expo would be more significant than one could possibly expect. Strange forces are at work, and I can only suspect that they spell misfortune for our fair heroines...

* * *

Narrator and Nisa stood in silence for a long while. Finally, the heroine of justice spoke.

"w-Well, that one wasn't so bad..." She looked at the cloaked figure, though he gave no reply. Narrator seemed deep in thought. "Is something wrong?" Nisa asked with trepidation. The man was eerily quiet.

Narrator finally looked towards the girl, and placed a shrouded hand upon his shrouded head. "I believe I understand now... I think I know what is going to happen! Why, it's worse than I could have even imagined..."

Nisa's eyes once again widened tremendously. "W-w-what is it? What injustice ails you!?"

"Someone... or something... is going to break one of those couples apart!" Lightning appeared to strike overhead, though Nisa saw nothing. Still, the news was kinda shocking, but definitely not world-ending... Wait! These were Nisa's comrades! How could she possibly call herself an upholder of justice if she did not protect their happiness? She now saw what horror was presenting itself.

"Who could be so evilly vile as to break up my fellow heroines!? What... what should we do?"

Narrator appeared to be thinking heavily. "Hm... Heroine of justice, I will need your help!" The cloaked man pointed a shrouded finger at the blue-haired upholder of righteousness. Was any part of this man not concealed beneath the cloak?

Nisa was startled at being addressed so suddenly. "O-Of course! What should I do to prevent this travesty?"

"I will need you to investigate this game expo. It is being sponsored by a big-named company named Avenir. You need to break into their headquarters and provide reconnaissance. Here, take this..." Narrator took out a cell phone from seemingly out-of-nowhere, and handed it to the heroine of justice. "I will lead you through the building. If my hunch is correct, there should be a secret facility located within. By our joint efforts, we should easily be able to find it, and shut down any evil scheme they may be planning!"

Nisa stared blankly at the cloaked man. "Um, why exactly do you think Avenir wants to break up my comrades' relationships. That seems... kinda random. Further more, how do you know so much about their headquarters!?"

Narrator placed his shrouded hand on her shoulder. "My agency has watched them for a while. We know they are up to some shady operations, but to what extent, we do not know. However, I was told that my mission would be obvious when it presented itself. This has to be the answer!" The man then motioned for Nisa to head on out. "Now, go! Save your friends, and stop Avenir. I will contact you when the time is right."

"W-wait! I'm so confused right now! None of this makes any sense!" It was then that Nisa realized that she didn't even know where she was. She had sat down to take a rest a little bit ago, and then woke up in this blank expanse, where she met Narrator. Where in Gamindustri was this, and how did she get here?

"Don't worry, the way will be as clear as day!" With that, Narrator pushed Nisa towards some door that never was there before, and she collapsed onto the cold, hard ground.

"H-hey! What gives you the right to treat an upholder of justice like this!?" she screamed, and then quickly sprang back onto her feet. However, something had changed. This was no longer the lifeless room she had been before. No, these were the familiar streets of Lastation. She quickly looked behind her, but merely saw a brick wall. No door was in sight.

"How...?" Nisa was rightfully confused, but she did not let that faze her. She remembered her mission. "...Ok, so I need to find Avenir's main headquarters, or something. Hm, now, where could it be..."

The heroine of justice looked forward, and grew even more perplexed; She had been deposited right outside of her target building.

"Well, that's convenient..." hesitant, Nisa walked towards the headquarters. How did she wind up right here? This was all too confusing.

However, Gamindustri's guardian of righteousness shook off her uneasiness and went to work. Her friends apparently needed her, and she would not let them down!

**INTERMISSION: System Halted**

_On peaceful days like this, I can't help but think back to all those years ago, when I first met... 'her'..._

_I remember sneaking out of my house right before lunchtime; Dad had a little too much to drink, like usual, so he wasn't keepin' a good watch over me. Anyways, I skipped to the nearby park... man, I had a lot of freakin' energy back then; So full of hope and dreams. I walked over to my favorite swing and took a seat. I was still too young to efficiently boost myself, so I never went too fast or too high, but I didn't mind._

_On days like these, all the other kids were usually still indoors, enjoying some good food with their loving families. So, I always had the playground to myself. On this day, though... one other girl arrived._

_She plopped down on the seat next to mine and waved. I was tremendously shy back then, so all I could do was hesitantly wiggle my fingers in her direction. For a few long minutes, the two of us just swung in silence... perhaps basking in the feeling of another's company; I dunno. Eventually, though, she got bored with the swing and stood up. She turned her eyes to me... they were real beautiful eyes... and said her first words to me:_

_"Hey, you wanna go use the slide? You can be my partner." She smiled and held out her hand. Dear God, her smile was simply stunning; I had never seen one so bright. I abandoned my reservations, and took her hand in mine._

_"Y-Yeah... Sure..." So, the two of us spent the rest of the hour just playin' around. I never had that much fun before in my life... Geez, listen to me, acting all sentimental and crap. Heh... guess memories of that girl just bring out a soft side to me I barely realize I have..._

_...Well, after the best hour or two of my life, she said the words I least wanted to hear: "Uh oh... I better get back home now. My mommy had something special to tell me after work today..." That lovely angel of a girl bowed her head politely. "I-It's been fun! Maybe we can play again sometime?"_

_I nodded my small, naïve little head. "Y-Yeah! I come her all the time! We'll be sure to meet again!"_

_The girl's face lit up, and she hugged me; D-Don't judge me, but I can still remember exactly how it felt... Man, what I wouldn't give to feel that way again..._

_We pulled apart, and she looked me over for a second. "Hey, so what's your name, anyways?"_

_I blushed, and averted my eyes; I never really liked my name. It just sounded so... 'Bleh', or whatnot. "I'm... Linda... What's your name?"_

_The girl flashed me an even brighter smile, and replied: "Hehe... I'm xxxxxx... Nice to meet you, Linda..." She leaned forward and pecked me on the lips. Her face turned a deep red, and she ran off. "I'll see you later, Lindy!" And with that, she was gone, just as quick as she had arrived._

_...I never saw her again, and I've been kickin' myself ever since. Sure, I was way too young to understand feelings and such, but at that moment, I knew one thing: I had fallen in love with that mysterious stranger. Hell, even to this day, I still fondly reflect on our short time together._

_Wow, I'm a walkin' cliché, aren't I?_

_Though... If I remember her highly, then why... can't I remember her name? No matter how hard I try, it just won't spring to mind..._

_Well, after all these years, I guess it doesn't matter. I mean... She probably moved on long ago. Who knows: Maybe she's actually made something with her life, unlike my sorry hide..._

_Still, I wonder if she remembers me, wherever she is right now..._

_..._

There sat a tree on Leanbox that provided fine shade for tired venturers. When the sun blazed on the mortals below, this tree offered a safe haven for those with no roof over their heads. Today, however, no mere citizen slept under this tree. No, this sleeping figure was no stranger to the heroines of this tale...

Linda, aptly coined Underling by our protagonists, was among the last remaining remnants of ASIC, the Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime. The radical organization had been reduced to ashes after the Almighty Deity of Sin had been destroyed by our maidens. However, Underling continued to uphold their legacy, though probably only because she was too lazy to acquire any other skills.

Anyways, she would soon be awoken by a voice from her past.

A voice that she would never forget...

...Perhaps, even, a voice she never wanted to forget.

"Liiiiiiiiiiinnnnnddddaaaa..."

Underling jittered awake at the low, droning words. "Hwha...? Whose's there?..." She was pretty groggy, having been awoken from such a peaceful slumber. After a moment, her eyes adjusted to her bright surroundings, and she gasped.

"Magic...? Ah, CFW Magic!" Indeed it was! Before Underling's very eyes was her previous commander, who had been struck down by the heroines. The last time Linda saw Magic, her form had been corrupted entirely by Arfoire, and was merely acting as a vessel. Underling had been traumatized at seeing her idol's form being used in such a manner. However, she held onto the hope that she would see her once again, and at last, that hope seemed to have been realized!

Magic enticingly slithered towards the bewitched Underling, and gracefully placed a hand upon her cheek. "Oh, how I've missed you, Linda. It has been too long."

Linda closed her eyes, unsure of what to make of this turn of events. "Um, CFW Magic, ma'am, um, how are you... here...?..." She couldn't calm her nerves. Can we blame her?

The ASIC member smirked and cupped the confused girl's chin. "Why, you brought me here, of course. You're undying devotion has given me a second chance, and I am-" She brought her lips close to Linda's ear- "immensely grateful..."

Wah! Now Underling really couldn't get her mind together. She had to be dreaming!

However, as Narrator said earlier, there would be no dream sequences in this story. What, then, was really going on!?

"I...I saved you?" She had to say something, so a question seemed the way to go.

"Indeed. If it weren't for you, I'd still be trapped in a void of nothingness for all eternity. However, I heard your loyal voice, and it pulled me through." Magic stared into Linda's aghast eyes. "Thank you, Linda. You were always my favorite subordinate..."

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-no need to thank me, ma'am! I'm an ASIC member till the end, y'know. Heh heh... just doing my job..." She was much more confused now then she ever had been... and, perhaps, a little intrigued. Her idol had rarely been this... flirtatious... before.

"Don't be so modest. Why..." Magic began to praise her lackey some more, but instantly clutched her chest in pain. "Aaargh!... Damn, it's not perfect yet..."

Linda's eyes widened even further. "CFW Magic, ma'am, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

The commander slightly smirked. "I haven't fully escaped yet, Linda, but that's where you come in. I need you to do one more small favor for me, for the syndicate. I want you to find a certain citizen on Planeptune, and bring her to Lastation. I'll try to contact you once she's there. As long as you stay faithful," she once again cupped Underling's chin, "I should be able to escape, if only for a moment."

Linda processed her words as best she could, then finally replied. "Don't worry, I-I'll do whatever you say. So, who's the broad I need to find?"

"Her name... is Nepgeo." Before Underling could reply, Magic continued. "No, not the CPU Candidate. Nepgeo is just a standard, foul-mouthed citizen. However, if you bring her to Lastation, she will start a chain of events that can permanently set me free. She will be outside the base of Planeptune's largest tower; You'll know her when you see her."

"Can... she really bring you back?"

Magic moved even closer to the awe-struck Underling. "Yes, and I will be forever in your debt. So, will you help me restore our once-glorious syndicate?"

"Of course, ma'am. I'll work til my dying breath!"

"Please, Linda, stop with the formalities. Just call me Magic." At that, Linda became completely light-headed. Magic's face grew ever closer to her lackey's. "Head to Planeptune, find the insolent girl, and bring her to Lastation. The rest will fall into play."

Linda's eyes slowly closed as Magic's lips approached her own. This feeling, the suspense of the moment, was killing her. However, right before they finally touched, Magic pulled away.

Clutching her forehead, she said "Go, Linda, and bring things back to the way they were." With a large flash of white, CFW Magic disappeared from sight.

Underling stood there for at least three minutes in total silence. Finally, she shook her head wildly, then cleared her throat. "D-Damn, what the hell got over me back there?... Well, I guess I better go find that twerp in Planeptune..." Not entirely certain what was about to ensue, Linda embarked on a journey to Planeptune to find some superfluous young woman... What is it with this story that makes everything so cryptic and vague?

Well, it looks like this is about ready to wrap up. What will occur in our next installment? Hopefully, it will not be as shrouded in vague words as this opening was! Til next time, my fair audience; I sincerely hope you return!


	2. Act II: From the New World

"Mina!...MINA! Come on, wake up, you dummy!"

Lowee's oracle instantly awoke; Sleeping in was unusual for her. "What is it, Ram?" She asked gracefully.

"Look what Rom found!" Ram grabbed Mina's hand, and began pulling her towards the door. She followed, already clad in her usual attire. Wait, so she sleeps in that graduation outfit?

The loli led her guardian to the front yard, where Rom was happily dancing around... something.

"Dear... what do you have there?" Mina grew concerned.

Rom turned her head and smiled brightly. "Hi, Mina... look!" The light-blue-clad sister picked up the figure she was dancing around, and displayed it to the two onlookers.

Mina gasped. "Rom, dear, please put that down..." For in the more-reserved child's hands was a blue baby dragon.

"But... he's my... friend. He likes... blue, too!"

"Rom, put that dragon down this instant! His parents must be worried sick..." Mina tried to maintain her composure, but her voice rose just a bit. It was enough to make Rom cower a little.

Ram turned her attention to Mina, and gave her a glare for the ages. "Why are you such a poop-face, Mina? He's a nice dragon! We found him while playing, and he wanted to join... You're just jealous we made a new friend!" Ram crossed her arms and nodded triumphantly.

Rom nodded along with her sister. "He's... a nice dragon. He's cute." She said, as an act of defiance.

Mina knew she had to act fast. Even dragon whelps could be dangerous. However, any plan she could have enacted was halted by the emergence of one angry individual.

"What the HELL IS WITH ALL THIS NOISE!? I'M TRYING TO WRITE HERE!" Blanc had finally emerged from her room, and she was just as pleasant as ever.

The red-clad sister ran over to her older sister and pulled on her sleeve. "Blanc, Mina's being a cranky old lady again! She won't let us play with our new friend."

"Your sisters have found a young dragon. If they aren't careful, they could be seriously hurt." Mina said, summarizing the situation to the disgruntled CPU.

Blanc raised her fist in frustration, but spoke with restraint; she did her best not to entirely explode with rage. "You two are not allowed to have a dragon. I'd end up being the one to feed him, anyways. Put it back where you found it."

Ram puffed out her cheek, but still walked over to her twin. Rom nodded with sadness, and they both took hold of the blue dragon and carried him back to where they first met him.

"Whew, that's taken care of. Sorry to disturb you, Blanc." Mina apologized wholeheartedly. "I overslept this morning, but I can assure you nothing like this will ever happen aga-" Before she could finish that thought, a large shadow overtook the house. It was as if storm clouds had immediately materialized in front of the sun.

"The hell is this!? Not another snow storm!" Blanc snarled. The two women lifted their heads towards the sky, and gasped. It was no incoming blizzard.

"Girls, get inside now. There's some juice in the fridge for you." Mina called, trying to keep her nerves in check. Blanc remained silent, irritation evident in her eyes.

The two twins turned at Mina's call, but noticed the figures in the sky anyways. "Cool! More dragons! Can we keep these ones!? Ram cheered.

"Can... I ride one?" Rom smiled shyly. Indeed, in the sky flew countless amounts of dragons. The biggest, though, had to be the central blue one, no doubt the child's parent. Besides him, though, were green dragons, gold dragons, and even a purple dragon! Never had the sky been flooded with this many dragons. Mina grew ever more concerned.

"Get in the house NOW!"  
...

"And that's the situation." Kei remarked flatly. Noire looked perplexed, Compa cowered a little, and Neptune's eyes shone brightly.

"How awesome! I wanna ride one of those dragons too!" The leader of a nation, ladies and gentlemen!

**Chapter 4: Cha-La Head-Cha-La**

For those who require a quick refresher, Nisa had been sent to Avenir's headquarters by the narrator of this story(?), Narrator... Wouldn't 'announcer' be a more correct term for his profession?...

W-well, moving on... The heroine of justice's task was to find... some MacGuffin, I presume, which would stop some evil scheme hell-bent on destroying her comrades' relationships. Why? Well, nobody's really too sure, especially Nisa. However, did anyone really expect some deep and intricate reason in a story such as this?...

Either way, Nisa had managed to infiltrate the building (she walked in the front door when the receptionist wasn't looking), and was searching high and low for... well, something. Up until now, she was journeying around blind. Narrator had said that he would contact her, but the communicator had yet to make any noise. Surely he hadn't forgotten!?

"Hm, so a secret facility, huh? Surely it must be concealed underground; All secret labs are hidden beneath our very feet!" Truth be told, Nisa was enjoying this. Sure, the stakes were allegedly high, but she was able to live her dream of stopping an evil syndicate (albeit one not clearly defined).

The heroine of justice stealthily maneuvered about the office hallways, amazed at how life-less everything was. Certainly at least one employee should have crossed her path?

In any case, Nisa continued speaking her dramatic thoughts out loud. "If I were to have a secret lab, how would I conceal it? Heh, of course, I would use my lab as a base of justice, not one for villainy. Hm... the Nisa-cave! No... Nisa Tower!... Nah, that's no good... It'll come to me soon."

These important monologues were ended at once by the vibrating of the cell phone. About time!

"Hello, Nisa here! I have managed to successfully infiltrate the building! However, I have only seen one person here, and that was the receptionist."

Narrator nodded, though no one else was with him to see. "That's great to hear. Hm, most of the employees there must be setting up that game expo. That makes things a bit easier."

"So, I must find this facility before the expo begins?"

"Indeed. Avenir is planning to perform their evil scheme at that expo, you see. You must stop them before that happens."

Nisa pumped her fist in anticipation. "Gotcha! So, when is this expo?"

"It begins early tomorrow. Once it does, your friends will be in grave danger. However, I'm confident you will shut Avenir's plans down."

Nisa took this all in, then nodded. "I understand. I will find this secret lab at once!... Hey, umm, do you know where I can find it?" A good question, but something of a buzz-kill.

Narrator placed a shrouded hand on his shrouded chin to make it clear that he was thinking, even though there was still nobody with him. "I believe I do. Find the third-floor women's bathroom. There, as far as I know, you will find something... suspicious. I'll contact you again in about 30 minutes. If you still can't find their hidden room, then I'll dig up some more information. Go get them!" With that, Narrator hung up.

"Third-floor women's bathroom... Wonder what could be suspicious in there?" Nisa sprang to action, intent on discovering Avenir's secrets.

Our pursuer of justice, however, was not the only woman on a mission. No, Underling was also on an equally important quest right at this very moment.

The journey from Leanbox to Planeptune took an amazingly short time. Huh, guess writers really do have no sense of scale... or they could just be really fast ships... Yeah, let's go with really fast ships.

The trip, however, was not the part to worry about; Linda still had to find the girl called Nepgeo. For what reason, she couldn't even guess. If Magic claimed it could save her, however, then it had to be done.

"Shit, now where am I supposed to find this chick?" Underling muttered as she journeyed through the crowded streets of Planeptune. So many people, and she had to find one specific woman. What was so special about her?

"So, where did CFW Magic say she'd be?... Largest tower...?..." Linda slowly surveyed the skyline, and clearly saw her destination. Not too far from her current location was the large piercing monument to the goddess of the landmass. "Guess I'm goin' there..."

* * *

With the arrival of the evening sky came the ship from Lowee. Reluctantly, Lady White Heart and her younger sisters were escorted to Noire's residence by Kei.

"I can take those dragons myself. I don't need to hide!" Blanc pouted. If you couldn't tell, she was quite angry over this ordeal.

"We could not alow you to take such a reckless action. Besides, those breeds of dragons are near-endangered; If you harmed them, you may have caused an uprising." Kei explained in her casual manner. Hm, now was that why Lowee's royalty was evacuated? Was it to protect them from the dragons, or... the dragons from Blanc?

"If they value their lives, they shouldn't have invaded MY LAND!" Quite angry.

"Lowee's climate must be ideal for their breed, and for them to properly pro-create, the right conditions must be met. You are their CPU; You must tend to every citizen in your land, and that includes dragons."

Blanc couldn't help but detect a hint of snark in Lastation's oracle's words. However, Kei's face was just as hard to decipher as always.

"Are we there yeeeeeeeeeeeettt?" Ram yawned suddenly. Wow, I nearly forgot the Candidates were here too. That sure gave me a shock! The little girl rubbed her eyes while holding up her twin, who seemed to have drifted off to sleep already.

"Actually, yes, we are." Kei answered flatly. They had arrived. Blanc grunted in annoyance, while the residents of the building came to greet them all.

"Howdy, Blanc! How's it goin'!?" Neptune peppily shouted, patting the CPU on the shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Lowee's CPU artfully broke out of the ditz's grasp, and trudged into the house.

"Gee, what's crawled up her butt?" Lady Purple Heart questioned, though not too seriously. Frankly, it would have been creepy if Blanc had heartily greeted everybody with a smile.

Nepgear, having just woken up moments ago, approached the visitors from Lowee. Rom slowly opened her eyes and laid them upon the approaching candidate. "Miss Nepgear...!"

The young girl ran forward and hugged Nep Jr. as tight as possible. "Hello, Rom. Goodness, you've grown!" In reality, it was just a complimentary greeting; Both Ram and Rom looked identical to the last time the group came together.

As the young girls were welcomed inside, Noire stood at the side, more nervous than ever. She had planned to come out about her relationship with Neptune today, but both nerves and the arrival of Lowee's royalty delayed her. Now, more people would find out about her. The twins probably wouldn't understand, but Lady White Heart would never let her live it down.

But, did Noire really care what Blanc thought? If she had a problem with her relationship, so what? No, the guests from Lowee were not the problem here. No, the problem lied with one of her closest colleagues.

Kei Jinguji's opinion scared Lady Black Heart more than anything. If she refused to accept the news, then that was that. Noire would have to go through hell and back to be with Neptune, and hell would destroy her on the spot.

Or, at the very least, imagine all the paperwork Neptune would have to sign. She would probably become overwhelmed to the point where her head explodes.

Either way, Kei's attitude towards the big reveal would determine how everything played out. Two nations would be coming together as one, if you forgot. If she said it was impossible, then it would be impossible.

"What's the matter, Noirey? You look like you just saw a really giant spider eat an even humongouser caterpillar." Neptune sure has a way with words.

Lady Black Heart snapped out of her trance, and glared at her lover. "Stop being such an idiot... a-and don't even joke about big caterpillars!"

Neptune smiled mischievously, and wrapped her arms around the tsundere. "Don't worry so much. If anybody has a problem, I'll just rip off your shirt and show them what they're missin'."

"I-I-I'm not worried!... Wait, what did you just say!?" Neptune didn't reply, but instead pressed her lips to her nervous lover's. Lady Black Heart had no complaints.

Unbeknownst to the CPU lovers, their act did not go entirely unnoticed. As Kei escorted the twins into the house, ready to show off her rooming arrangements, Compa and Histoire spotted the kiss out of the corners of their eyes. They both smiled to each other knowingly; I guess Noire and Neptune really had sounded like an entire orchestra these past weeks. Both walked into the house, happy for the goddesses.

One person, however, had not been so knowledgeable about this relationship. She stood by the door, staring at the scene for a few moments out of total shock.

"Miss Noire and... Neptune? What the goodness..." Nepgear was wholeheartedly surprised, and slowly entered the house in a stupor...

* * *

Narrator clutched his cloaked head with his cloaked fists. Hm, what is ailing this poor man?

"Get... OUT!" the man screamed at... well, I sure don't know who. He's not talking to me, is he? That wouldn't be right...

"Why... won't... YOU... LEAVE!?" With that, the man fell to his covered knees. Did we enter this scene at the wrong time? Should we come back in five minutes?

Narrator began shaking his shrouded head rampantly. "What are you worrying about? Everything will be fine. In a few hours, that heroine will save everyone, and set us all free. There's no need to scream." Is he... talking to himself...?

"NOOO! I need to... FIND HER! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN LIKE THIS!... I promised... to protect her..." After a moment's silence, Narrator lifts his head at lightning speed, and instantly rises to his shrouded feet. I'm... stunned right now. What in heaven's name is going on with this man?

"It will all be fine. Soon, everything will be as it should." The man cleared his throat, looked forward, and bellowed out...

**Chapter 5: Giri Giri Chop**

"You sure you're not a pedophile?" What a way to jump-start a new chapter! The question was directed to the disgruntled-looking Underling, who was now on her way to Lastation. The trip, although not very long, felt like it was taking a lifetime; No doubt due to the guest joining her.

"Listen, you runt, I'm not a pedophile! Now please just shut up, or somethin'."

Her guest, the aforementioned Nepgeo, scowled a bit. "Yeah, you're not selling that point to me. Do you normally walk up to scantily clad teens and tell 'em to follow you? Hm, or do you have the hots for the CPU candidate after all? You dig bikinis, dontcha?"

Linda could barely contain her irritation. Why did she need this brat to help CFW Magic? "Jeez, kid, shut up before I club you! My boss needs you for something, that's all. If I could, I'd toss you off this ship myself. Now, let me get some shut-eye."

Nepgeo, as her name implied, looked exactly like Nepgear in her HDD form. However, their personalities were the polar opposites of each other. One represented the side of goodness, while the other represented the side of... naughty fanservice?... Oh, and possibly the utter betrayal felt by some readers...

The corrupted imitator crossed her arms. "Your boss must be some creepy pervert, then. They better not try anything funny; I'm a pure soul, you know."

Linda thought back to a few short hours ago, when she first met this "pure soul." She had finally stumbled upon the base of the tower, and was instantly drawn to the familiar figure standing there...

"The hell? What's that candidate brat doing here?" Underling refused to admit defeat to Nepgear and her friends (which she had suffered time and time again), so any chance for revenge that popped up, she took.

The imposter Nepgear was standing idly by, apparently chirping on her phone. Linda took this opportunity to sneak up behind her supposed enemy, in an attempt to catch her by surprise. However, this was no ordinary young woman.

Nepgeo smirked and instantly spun around, her phone having been replaced with a bottle of... pepper spray!?

The ASIC member stopped in her tracks. "Wha...?" was all she could manage before she was splashed in the eyes. Nepgeo was quick to follow-up with a sweeping kick, causing her to scream and fall to the hard pavement.

"The hell!... Stop!" Underling screamed with all her might. She reacted quickly, kicking upwards at her innocent-looking attacker. The imposter dodged easily, and jumped on top of the confused henchwoman.

"Did you think I was Nepgear? Ha, I am Nepgeav, the ultimate ninja assassin! Better luck next time..." The girl who was actually named Nepgeo jumped off of the green-haired woman and began to stroll away.

"That bitch! Who the hell does she think she is!?" Linda sprang back on her feet and dashed right into the fake purple sister. She inadvertently landed right on top of the "ninja." Having her face so close to the imposter allowed her to get a pretty intimate view of her face. Underling wasn't sure why, but her heart began to twinge...

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh? Listen, I'm really not Nepgear, so if it's her you want to have your way with, then you will be thoroughly disappointed with me." The girl on the bottom spoke without even flinching. Linda, however, was not so solid. Frankly, she didn't know what to say. This whole day had been one big shock after the other.

"L-L-Listen, I'm looking for some broad named Nepgeo... Are you her?" She managed to get that out, at least.

The imposter scrutinized Underling's face for a moment, then grinned. "So, you know my real name. Wow, you must really be desperate if you actually took the time to find out my real identity! Of course, you must not get a whole lotta lovin' with that tacky outfit you're wearing... I mean, I don't think mouse hoods can get you very far with ordinary ladies." She smirked slyly. "Of course... I'm no ordinary lady..."

What was this dame rattling on about? Will every single person Linda comes across on this journey act like a total pervert?... Why can't all of our lives be like that?

"T-T-T-T-That's not it! I need you to come with me to Lastation; It's important, I guess." Underling was sweating profusely, and was too flustered to fully comprehend that she was still on top of the girl.

Nepgeo smiled mischievously and nodded. "That's just vague enough to grab my interest. I don't trust you in the slightest, but, what the hell? Sure, I'll go with you, if only because I find baggy pants sexy..." Underling's eyes widened, and she felt her face heat up. "...Hehe, and I've always wanted to take a road trip with a pedophile..."

...

Linda wasn't sure how she had managed to recruit the annoying little brat, but if everything worked out, then who cares how it came about?

Still, something about Nepgeo unsettled the faithful ASIC member. Just who was she, and why did Magic need her? Why was she so willing to just go with her? Why was she so... familiar? Oh, and where did she learn to kick like that?

As the sun finally set, the ship came to rest in Lastation. Seeing as how the day was coming to an end, the two needed to find a place to stay.

Nepgeo surveyed Lastation's skyline. She was a resident of Planeptune, but she seemed quite familiar with this particular landmass. Had she been here before?

Finally, her eyes came upon a particular hotel. "Oh, pedo, we should stay there!" She said excitedly, her fingers pointing at the building's entrance.

"Fine, if it'll get you to shut up... and don't call me that, ya twerp!" And thus, the two ladies inadvertently(?) entered the highest-rated love hotel in all of Lastation!

Linda was not the only one in for a surprise this night, however! No, Nisa still had to discover just what was in that third-floor women's bathroom. After a few minutes of trying to find the stairs, our heroine of justice finally found her destination.

"Ah, yes, the women's bathroom. I have arrived!" She declared emotionally, perhaps trying to sound poetic to herself. "Now, I must find something unusual... hm..."

She entered the bathroom, and quickly scanned the room. Sinks, mirrors, hand dryers, paper towels, urinals, stalls, one lone window... wait just a moment!

Nisa curiously snuck over to the wall-mounted urinal station. Now, there were urinals designed just for women, but this was clearly the cliché one placed in almost every male public restroom. What could this possibly be here for? "... I don't want to think about that too much..." Nisa spoke softly to herself.

She studied the device, partially embarrassed, and then moved to touch the handle. Upon pulling it, however, no flushing sound emanated throughout the bathroom. No, instead, a clicking noise could be heard. Slowly, the inside of the urinal folded apart, revealing... a hidden passage! By Jove, Nisa has done it!

"Justice prevails once again! Now, let's see what's inside..." The heroine of justice leaped heroically into the hole in the wall. What will she possibly find?

* * *

"Get down from there. One of you is going to get hurt."

IF, phone in hand, walked out to the deck of the ship, and saw Cave pressing her palm to her face. Hah! I knew Cave was just hiding last chapter! Anyways, at the front-most point of the ship stood Vert and Chika, assumingly reenacting a famous scene from some movie. 5pb sat in a beach chair nearby, and waved at the brunette.

"Iffy, come sit with me!" the blue-haired idol called. IF could only smile and nod. She took a seat next to her.

"So, how long have they been at it?" the brunette asked, motioning towards the annoyed Cave.

"At least five minutes, now. You know Chika; She can get pretty crazy sometimes."

At long last, the two women finally left the front of the ship, and rejoined the others.

"I must say, that was quite enjoyable." Lady Green Heart remarked, smiling bright enough to challenge even the sun.

"What'd I tell ya!? See," Chika placed one arm around the goddess, "I know how to have a good time."

Vert giggled. "Well, you have my apologies for doubting you."

IF, sitting in her seat, was trying to hide the shade of crimson her face had turned. Ever since she began having those strange "dreams," she had begun feeling awkward around Lady Green Heart. The fact that the... well-endowed... goddess was in a two-piece swimsuit right at this very moment certainly didn't help things for the battle-hardened veteran. However, things had been much weirder earlier...

Iffy had been walking past the ship's bathroom, when a soft voice called from within. "Miss IF, is that you?"

"Lady Vert? Yeah, it's me." The girl was confused a bit, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

"Ah, great. May you come in here for a bit? I only ask for a moment of your time." Now IF started sweating. Why did Lady Vert need her in the bathroom, of all places?

"Uhhh... sure, I... guess... Okay, I'm coming in now..." IF slowly opened the door, and looked away upon walking into the room. In the bath tub was a very nude Lady Green Heart, calmly relaxing amongst the bubbles.

Vert opened her eyes partially and smiled pleasantly. "Hello, Miss IF. Would you care to help me relax? I've felt so tense lately, and Chika can only do so much..."

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Wha?" You could tell the state of mind Iffy was in. Would you be any better off?

"Perhaps you can rub my shoulders? Ah, or wash my back, even. Of course, only if you don't mind..." Vert acted nonchalant, but her eyes gave her the appearance of a pouting puppy dog. IF had no chance of resisting.

"S-Sure! I mean... yeah, I'll help out." Her voice carried nervous excitement. She cursed herself in her head.

"Perfect. Now, unwind a little, and come join me." Vert smiled even more, and motioned a spot in the bath. IF tried to say something, but could only nod her head and silently gulp.

"O...K, but d-d-don't look!" The brunette quickly demanded, before walking to the far end of the bathroom to undress. Once that was over, and she silently recited some prayers, she got in the water right behind Leanbox's goddess.

"Thank you, Miss IF. You always know just how to cheer me up." Vert cooed as the sharp-eyed warrior began her massage. She could only blush at those words.

After a few minutes of pure massage bliss, Lady Green Heart adjusted herself so that her head was now positioned on the brunette's chest. "Your hands are simply magnificent, Iffy. I should hire you as my professional massage therapist."

"Aw, you're too kind, my lady. I'm... I'm not that good..." Wait, did Vert just call her Iffy? Yep, IF was doomed.

"Don't be so modest; You're perfect... just perfect..." You know, I'm starting to suspect some hidden agenda in Lady Green Heart's actions...

After a moment of silence, the goddess once again spoke. "So, Iffy, how are things with 5pb? If she taking good care of you?" Hm, yeah, just a suspicion...

IF blushed, both at the questions and the fact that Vert somehow managed to brush even closer to her. "Y-Yeah, things are going pretty well..."

"Do you love her?" Lady Green Heart turned her head so that she was looking straight at the brunette. This caused her to lose even more breath, if that was possible.

The battle-hardened veteran's head had turned completely to mush at the question, and couldn't stop herself from awkwardly blurting out everything that was plaguing her mind. "I... I think I do... I mean, what if... we're moving too fast, y'know? I'm worried... that maybe we're making a huge mistake..."

Vert smiled softly as she gazed into Iffy's eyes. "Well, if you ever need anything, Miss IF, you know that I'm here for you. Hm, maybe I can give you a massage next time. I'm not nearly as skillful as you, of course, but it's the thought that counts. I'll help you organize your thoughts..."

Another heated moment; This story seems to be filled with these events, doesn't it? Vert looked at IF's soft lips, and slowly closed the gap between them. The warrior almost gave in to the mind-blowing moment, but something brought her back to reality. A quiet voice in her head, perhaps?

"Um... hey, I think Chika and Cave are waiting for us. We should get going..."

Vert analyzed Iffy for a moment, then smiled once more. "Ah, yes, we shouldn't keep them waiting..." A tense moment followed, with IF rushing to put back on her clothes and leave the room as quickly as possible...

IF commended herself for actually surviving that encounter. However, she couldn't bring herself to face the goddess right now. Vert, though, was managing to hide any embarrassment she may have felt.

"Anyways, it's getting dark. You guys should head inside. We'll be in Lastation tomorrow morning, and you need your rest." Cave reminded, snapping IF out of her thoughts.

"Aw, why d'you always gotta be such a party-pooper, Cave?" Chika vented, storming off sith Vert's arm around her own.

"I guess we should lay down, too." 5pb said, lightly clasping her girlfriend's hand.

"Yeah, that sounds nice..."

The girls proceeded to head to their designated rooms. IF and 5 shared a bed, as did Vert and Chika. Cave was content to sleep alone, especially if it got her away from Chika for the night.

As the brunette covered herself in blankets, a hand wrapped around her waist. She turned and saw the idol, looking at her intently, meaningfully.

IF's day was about to get even weirder.

"Iffy..." 5 cooed, playing with the warrior's hair a little. "I'm ready..."

IF smiled in confusion at the blue-haired girl's statement, not quite grasping its full meaning. With the way her day had gone so far, though, the answer had to have dwelt in the back of her subconscious. "Heh... ready for what...?"

5pb moved closer to the confused girl, bringing her lips to her ear. "You." A simple word, but a powerful word. A word that held no mystery or false intentions. A word that told Miss IF everything she needed to know, and a word that horrified her more than she could have predicted.

Once again, she could only deliver her words while stammering. "W-W-W-W-W-W-Wha!? W..." The brunette was silenced by a tender kiss. Inside, she was in turmoil, though she still wasn't exactly sure why.

"I love you, IF, and I want you." 5pb was so innocent, but her words clashed glaringly with her personality.

Iffy broke out into a cold sweat. She wasn't ready for this. What if this whole relationship was a mistake? If the two went too far, and this was indeed not meant to be, then their friendship would be thrashed apart.

"Ly-Lyree! D-Don't you think we're... moving a little too fast? I don't think we should do... that... yet." She blurted out, cursing herself for sounding like such a nerd. "I mean... Well, what if this is all just a huge... mistake? What if... it turns out that we're not meant to be... together...?"

The pop idol's eyes widened. "You... don't want to be with me?" 5pb asked, looking rather dejected. IF had done it now.

"NO! That's not it! I'm just... scared, I guess. What if this doesn't work out? Then what?"

5pb stared off into space for a moment, then looked back, confusion clear in all her features. "I don't get it. You wanted us to be together, didn't you? That's why that whole trick we played happened: We BOTH wanted this. That wasn't a lie, was it?" Ooh, playing the 'lie' card. Man, IF is done for...

Things were getting more tense by the second. How could IF dig herself out of this one? "That wasn't a lie at all! Listen, Fivey, I care about you, but I'm worried that we're going way too fast. Hell, we were talking about marriage our first night together! I've never been in a relationship before, and I'm worried that I'm gonna screw something up. I'm an idiot when it comes to stuff like this..."

5pb didn't answer, but stared at the ceiling of the room. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Hell, it's practically impossible to tell what anybody is thinking in this story!

IF couldn't take this atmosphere any longer; She needed to go outside. "I gotta think right now" was all she could bring herself to say to the idol. No reply came from 5. That can't be too good.

The brunette quickly jumped up and ran back up to the deck. She walked over to the rails and, despite her best efforts, began to cry. Quite an unusual sight, if I do say so myself!

Why did she say those things? It was as if some evil force had forced her tongue to utter those horrible words.

She failed to notice a woman walk up behind her. "Miss IF, what's wrong?" I'll just tell you right here: it was Lady Green Heart.

"I'm such an idiot! A damn useless idiot." she said between sobs. The goddess walked beside her, and brought IF's head to her bosom.

"There, there... don't say that." The goddess moved to face the warrior directly. "You are the most remarkable woman I have ever met, Miss IF. I can not simply allow for you to cry like this."

Iffy wiped her tears with one hand. "D...Do you really mean that, Lady Vert?"

Green Heart smiled and nodded in the affirmative. "Of course, Iffy. Now, let's get you out of the cold." The goddess led the confused brunette back inside. IF wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but she sure as hell didn't particularly care...

* * *

"Almost... almost... just a little more time..." Narrator was once again mumbling to himself. Oh dear, has he gone over the deep end? What should I do?... Oh, wait, I can't do anything, can I? Damn, this sucks...

Still, I wonder what he is talking about? Perhaps he is venting his relief that Nisa's mission is going rather smoothly so far? Yeah, that's what I'm going with...

"Get OUT!" Ahhhh! Why is he screaming again? Can I please leave this scene? "Be gone! I can not sit idly by and watch this happen! LEAVE!" STOP SCREAMING!

Whew, sorry about that. Seems I lost my cool there for a moment. Oh, and no, he can't hear me; I don't think anyone can... besides you, that is!

Hm, but what will this strange enigma of a man do next? And why is he freaking out so frequently now?

Ah, wait, he is picking up his microphone! Here it comes!

**Chapter 6: Bouken Desho Desho?**

Well, after that disheartening scene with two of our fellow maidens, let's see if we can find something a bit more... upbeat, if you will.

Hm, how long has Nisa been exploring that headquarters? I mean, night has dawned on the rest of our heroines, but as far as I know, her escapades in the evening had yet to be covered. Why are her scenes still stuck in the daytime?

How about we drop in and find out?

The dark tunnel filled Nisa's every sense with dread, and a bit of excitement... Okay, a whole lot of excitement. To think, she was walking down the hidden passageway of some top-secret underground facility! She lived for this stuff!

After a long trek, the cave ultimately stopped, ending with a silver door. That sure didn't jar with its surroundings, or anything...

"Hah, so I finally found their facility! For JUSTICE!" Nisa smashed through the door, admittedly letting the excitement cloud her judgement... just a tad bit.

Beyond that door was the quintessential cliché of a secret underground facility. Test tubes all strewn about, weird control panels that couldn't possibly be used in any coherent fashion; This place had it all. However, that didn't stop it from being any less creepy.

"What in the name of righteousness is this?" All of the tubes were arranged in a section of the lab marked "Operational Companions," and... were those human figures inside of them?

Nisa grew alarmed at once. She immediately took out the cell phone Narrator had given her, but cursed him once she realized that he hadn't given her a way to contact him when she needed. Oh well, guess she was on her own for now.

She walked up to one particular tube, and gasped. A chill ran down her spine as she read the label at the base of it. Then, feeling sick to her stomach, she walked over to the rest of them, and read each of the descriptions. She wasn't entirely sure why the labels bothered her so much, but they sure did give off some bad energy.

Damn, why can't I see them? Pardon me, for my eyesight is not the best right now. I am quite tired. If I could see these labels, then I would tell you right away. For now, though, we'll just have to be content with the knowledge that they have unsettled our fair heroine of justice.

...Did you hear that just now? Oh, wait, you couldn't possibly have heard... never mind that! It sounded as if another set of footsteps have entered the lab! Run, Nisa, run!

Nisa's ears perked upon hearing the soft clatter of footsteps on the cold, manufactured steel. "Who goes there!?" She called out. No response, though that was to be expected. What was not expected was the large metal bat coming down on the heroine's neck from behind. Quickly, and with little sound, the defender of the righteous collapsed to the ground.

Nisa, can you hear me!? No, of course not. Even if someone else could hear me, it would be no use. The heroine was clearly unconscious from that direct blow. She was left lying on the ground by her unseen assailant. Only the pixelated gods above could say when she would awaken from her slumber. I hope it won't take too long. She needs to save her friends!

Hm, but who was her unknown attacker? How did I manage to not see him? Damn, I didn't think my eyesight was that bad...

Damn, that scene wasn't uplifting at all. I heartily apologize for these past depressing scenes. If I could rectify their significance, I would in a heartbeat. However, that is beyond my grasp.

W-W-Well, let's not get ourselves down any more than we already are. There are still a few more scenes in this installment, so let's go check in on them.

Now would be a good time to see what Underling is getting herself into. How about it?

Gasping for breath, Linda rolled onto her back and rubbed her hands through her hair. Nepgeo smiled in exhaustion, and lightly wound her arm around the woman next to her.

...! Now, this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but... I think I'll take it.

"...Damn..." Underling could only mutter out that single word. The imposter Nepgear next to her giggled.

"Oh yeah, I totally just blew your mind, right?" Indeed she had... Upon entering that love hotel, the two had continued their bickering about, well, pretty much everything. However, exhaustion soon set in, and they had taken their places in the bed... conveniently shaped like a heart, mind you...

"So, sleep next to girls in shady hotels often?" Nepgeo teased. Linda sighed.

"Listen, I'm tryin' to sleep here. Just... shut up and go to bed. I'll figure out what to do with you tomorrow."

Nepgeo rolled onto her side and grinned a rather sly smile. "Well, I'm not ready to go to bed."

"Tough shit. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well... I want you to fulfill your obligations."

Underling looked at the brazen woman with annoyance. "What the hell are my obligations?"

Nepgeo was clearly having fun. "Well, you're a pedophile who's successfully lured a young, innocent girl into your clutches. Now's the time to claim your prize!"

The ASIC member's eyes widened, much like they'd done quite a few times today. "The hell are you rambling on about? I'm not..." Much like with Magic earlier, Nepgeo's face got extremely close to hers. In fact, the very atmosphere around the purple-haired girl felt radically similar to that of the ASIC commander...

However, unlike with Magic, Nepgeo didn't stop.

The two girls' lips mashed together, filling Linda with much confusion. Her thoughts became disheveled, but, although she would never admit it, none of the thoughts that crossed her mind involved breaking free from the kiss. No, instead, she ended up kissing back, hell-bent on coming out of this the dominant one.

Nepgeo became much more involved, and in return, so did Underling. After what had to be an eternity, the joining of the two sets of lips came apart.

"...Wha-What was that for?" Linda questioned, trying to defrost her mind.

"That was 'cause I think you're real cute. Like, your hair and skin is so adorable..." Linda's face became even more flushed than before, and Nepgeo traced a rogue hand along her back. Slowly, the hook on Underling's brassiere came undone, and she gasped lightly. She was being exposed by this complete and total stranger, and was doing nothing to stop her.

"And this... is 'cause I think you're damn sexy." With that, the purple-haired imposter pulled off the pesky undergarment and crawled on top of the bewildered henchwoman...

... What, Were you expecting more? This story may be rated M, but even we have standards. Listen, if you truly want a detailed account of precisely what went down in that bed, then you'll have to write one yourself. Hey, it'll be the only lemon on the site involving Linda and Nepgeo, that's for sure! Don't you want to make history?

... Moving back to the present...

Underling was still reeling from what had just transpired. I mean, not only had she just had some pretty intense relations with this woman she just met today, but this girl looked exactly like one of her sworn enemies. It was an... interesting dilemma, to say the least.

And just why hadn't she rejected Nepgeo's advances? Why, in fact, did she reinforce them? Her head was quite a mess.

...Perhaps her heart had felt a sensation that was oddly... familiar?

"You okay? I didn't kill ya' did I?" Nepgeo inquired, pressing her cheek against the dazed ASIC member.

"Yeah, I'm fine... So, do YOU do this often? Y'know, get kidnapped by strangers, and then molest them?"

"Only with really cute girls. Like, the ones with bright, starry eyes, and not a care in the world. I like to believe that I've helped set them on the right path... Heh, of course, those girls don't kidnap me; I just attract them so well... Better to be in the arms of a caring girl like me then some creep with five o'clock shadow and a criminal record, right?"

"I take it you don't like men, then?"

"Ha! Not even a little. They are quite fun to mess with, though. One time, there was this one guy who stalked my Chirper page. Real creepy, for sure. He kept harrassin' me, so I finally agreed to meet him right at the base of Planeptune tower. Here's where it gets good: So, he shows up with his sister- yeah, he wasn't even man enough to show alone- and asked me to dinner."

Linda listened, not sure where this was going. "So, did you go?"

"Heh, well, I walked up to him, intertwined my fingers with his, and then... walked over to his sister and totally made out with her. Like, there was tongue involved, and everything. The guy got so infuriated that his face turned beat red, and he stormed off without a word... Oh, and I totally made his sister into a woman that night. After dinner, of course! Ah..." Nepgeo seemed deep in thought. "She still calls to thank me every once in a while... good kid..."

Linda couldn't help letting out a dark chuckle at the tale. "Jeez, that sure was cold."

"Well, he deserved it; all men do. They only care about one thing, and that certainly isn't the feelings of an innocent young woman."

...I am sincerely sorry to any man who is reading this section right now and is feeling offended. These beliefs are not shared by anyone involved with bringing this story to life, I can tell you that. Why, I'd give little Nepgeo a piece of my mind if I could. But, alas... I can't even attempt to interact with this story. Woe is me...

"Don't you think that's a little... I don't know, rash? I mean, not all guys are scum." You go, girl! Tell her like it is!

Nepgeo raised an eyebrow playfully. "Oh yeah? Can you name one decent male who isn't entirely obsessed with sex or violence?"

Linda thought hard; she truly did. However, she struggled to name any guy she knew at all. Well, one who wasn't some giant mechanical personification, or one handsome rodent, at least. "...No, I can't... but I still think that's a pretty harsh judgement. Besides, from my point of view, you're just as guilty as they are."

The purple-haired woman was beaming now. "Hey, I've heard no complaints from you so far." Linda avoided her gaze in embarrassment. "If I was truly like a man, then I would have made you satisfy me. But is that what happened? Nope! I made sure to show you a good time, and not worry about my own needs. Can you deny that?"

Underling couldn't retort. During that session you weren't allowed to see (yet...(?)), the henchwoman had completely surrendered herself to Nepgeo, and by the heavens, had she been satisfied. However, Underling was not the type to just openly admit these kinds of things... That's what I'm here for, I guess.

A thought occurred to her at that very moment. Well, it had actually always been there, but now she was ready to bring it up. "... Hey, why did you do... that... with me? I'm not like those other girls you mentioned..." Was the stone-cold Linda feeling bashful and, may I say, vulnerable right now? What was the world coming to?

"Hey, don't put yourself down like that! ... Just between you and me," Nepgeo crawled back on top of the henchwoman, "there's just somethin' about you... I could mess with you all day, and I'd be content... You're, like, so rugged on the outside, but-" she caressed the dazed woman's face- "I can tell there's a passionate beast sleeping inside of you, just ready to burst out. Ooh, and when it does, everyone better watch out."

It was at this moment that something completely snapped inside of Underling. Maybe it was Nepgeo's words, her lustful gaze, or just pure insanity bottled up from the events of the entire day. Whatever it may have been, she was done sitting idly by watching this happen. Things were about to go in her favor...

Linda grinned the slyest grin she had ever grinned in her life. And that's a sly grin. "I think you've already awakened her..." she uttered quite erotically. Hell, even Nepgeo recoiled a bit. Both girls once again joined together in an all-out battle for dominance, though Underling was clearly in the lead this time.

Nepgeo broke free for a moment. "...Wow... Ok, I need you right now."

"Heh... you bet your sweet ass you do." With that, the already nude women carried themselves out of the bed, and journeyed to the shower, never letting go of each other for a second. Linda, as we all would have been, was too far gone to notice the familiar insignia among Nepgeo's crumpled pile of clothes. Wait, is that...! ASIC? Nepgeo is... Wow, I really don't know what to say. More importantly, will Linda know what to say?

The two girls brought their session into the shower, and into the stream of rushing warm water... Yep, yet another scene this story isn't ballsy enough to cover in detail. Go on, do it! I dare ya!

After a short while of sensual shenanigans, a lone hand pressed itself against the glass panes separating that shower from the rest of the world. The hand clearly was attached to someone experiencing quite a load of pleasure. After a breathless moment, the hand slid downwards, assumingly reenacting another famous scene from some movie.

* * *

"Everyone, gather round! Now, this residence does not have enough rooms for each and every one of you to stay in individually, but don't fret; I have constructed a room plan that will accommodate us all." Kei had announced in front of everyone staying at Noire's house. Although her face did not physically show anything, one couldn't help but feel that the woman took great pride in this rooming arrangement... Is she really that lonely?

"Ooh, ooh! Who am I bunkin' with?" Neptune asked anxiously, arm straight up in the air like a school-child.

Before Kei could answer, Noire took it upon herself to raise her hand as well. She held her eyes shut tight, trying to act extremely annoyed at the ditz. "Kei, I think it's best that you let her stay with me... n-not that I want her in my room, or anything! I-I just think it would be a whole lot safer if I could keep a close eye on Neptune. She's bound to blow this house sky-high if I don't keep a watch on her..." Smooth, Noire.

Neptune grinned bashfully. "Oh, yeah, totals. If I'm not kept on a leash, who knows what could wind up on the front yard. I'm with Noirey on this one." The goddess waved frantically to Lady Black Heart. "Heya, Noirey!" The tsundere hid her head and quietly waved back.

Kei looked down at her list and sighed inside. She had originally paired herself with Noire, possibly in an attempt for them to spend some quality time together. However, she could never say that, so she simply nodded. "I see. Then that's how it shall be." Great, now the list was already disheveled...

Oh well. The show must go on!

"Um, Kei, may I ask who I'm sleeping with?" The question came from Nepgear, who was fidgeting in her chair. The revelation she had discovered moments earlier had made her feel quite uneasy. Her nervousness wasn't noticed by most of the people in the room, fortunately. However, Uni was sharp when it came to matters such as this. She cautiously eyed her girlfriend.

"Ah, yes, sure thing, Nepgear. I have decided that it would be best if you stayed with Uni for the time being. Is that fine with you?"

"O-Of course! Thank you, Kei!" Nepgear tried, but could not suppress her excitement. What were the odds of the oracle conveniently placing the couple in the same room? The candidate flashed a loving smile to Uni, who smiled back, still feeling that something was wrong.

Kei gleamed inside, though again, no one could tell.

The rooming arrangements, if you so needed to know, are as follows:  
Neptune with Noire; Nepgear with Uni; Histoire with Compa; Mina with Ram and Rom; and Kei with... Blanc. That can't possibly go well.

"I refuse to share a room with anybody! I need my privacy." Blanc pouted as she took her place in the bed. Kei was reading at her desk.

"I'm sorry you're not happy, but there's simply not enough space for you to have your own room." She really knew how to make people feel welcome.

"Oh, god, this is gonna be so damn boring!"

Meanwhile, Compa finished carrying her very large bag to her room. She began looking through it, making sure once more that she had everything she needed. "Hm... everything's here... but I could have sworn it was much heavier earlier today..."

Histoire hovered over and looked at the bag as well. "Perhaps you are getting stronger, Compa. Have you been working out lately?"

"Um... no, not really. I've been so busy with my nurse training that I haven't been able to do much else of anything. Oh well, maybe I'm just remembering something wrong."

"Yes, perhaps that is all it is... It's getting quite late; We should probably get some sleep."

Compa nodded with a cheerful demeanor. "Yeah, I'm exhausted. Well, good night, Histy!"

"Good night, Compa."

If that wasn't enough, the two candidates were getting cozy in their personal room.

"Oh, Uni." Nepgear sighed dreamily as the two hugged each other close. Right now, being together was the only thing that mattered. All they had to do was hold each other close, and they were in eternal bliss.

However, the purple-haired candidate still couldn't get the thought of her sister and Noire out of her mind. It wasn't that she disapproved; She knew that the two made each other happy. To be honest, she didn't really know why it shook her so much.

Maybe the thought of her older, yet less responsible sibling falling in love made her feel like she was losing her. Hm, or maybe she questioned if two sets of siblings could get married, especially those who ruled separate landmasses. Or, possibly, she was actually over-excited and realized that maybe her relationship with Uni would be warmly accepted by their older siblings.

Or it could be all three of those things. Who could say?

The two young girls stared in each other's eyes for what had to be a millennium. "I love you Nepgear." Uni whispered.

"I love you, Uni." Nepgear whispered back. Her qualms could not stop her from taking in this moment, however! This love was much to pure for any sort of interference of the likes. Hopefully, it would stay that way...

In Noire's room, the two goddesses were unwinding from the long day. Lady Black Heart was checking her Chirper page on her phone, while Lady Purple Heart was... engaging in interpretive dance?

"Hey, calm down. Someone's gonna start complaining about the noise." Noire remarked without looking up.

"But I feel the rhythm in mah soul, Noirey! There's no way I can stop now!" So she didn't.

The tsundere sighed, then continued analyzing her chirper page. Upon reaching a certain post further down the page, her eyes widened in shock. "Holy crap..." she blurted out loud.

"What? You feelin' the rhythm too? Come on, join in!" Neptune pulled the stunned Noire into the confusing dance, and the black-haired goddess unwittingly began to move along with her.

"Hey, uh, Neptune..."

"What is it, Noire?"

"Um... do you know what tomorrow is?"

The ditz looked up in thought, never once stopping her funky jive. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm... nope, no clue. So... what is it?" A predictable response.

Noire sighed yet again. Yeah, half of this story is ellipsis and sighing... huh, go figure! "Tomorrow's the opening of the biggest game expo of the year! Crap, it'd be wrong if we weren't there." Lady Black Heart sure seemed distressed. However, she continued to move along with Neptune without even noticing.

"Hm, well, I'm sure Histy and Kei will understand. It's not like we have other plans tomorrow anyways, right?" Huh, that was actually a coherent thought. Color me impressed!

Noire thought for a second, then nodded rather slowly. "... Yeah, you're right. Hell, Kei'll probably be thrilled to get this whole crowd out of the house. This... just might go well."

"See, with me around, baby, you got nothin' to worry about." Noire took serenity from that simple declaration. Neptune, despite her... well, everything about her, always knew how to keep Noire calm and happy.

"I love you." Lastation's goddess declared sincerely, without thinking at all. She then began blushing like crazy; A common reaction whenever she spoke those miraculous words.

Neptune gave her a look that betrayed her ditz-like personality. "I love you." she repeated. The two then leaned in for the inevitable kiss. Noire realized then that she didn't give a damn what anybody else would say. She was gonna love this woman, and nobody could even hope to stop her. After the expo tomorrow, she was gonna walk straight to Kei and give her the news. If she didn't like it, then so what? They would just have to proceed without her...

**INTERMISSION: Composition of the Confrontation**

When Compa had remarked that her bag felt lighter, she wasn't lying; Something had been taken out of it when she wasn't looking. Or, more accurately, something had removed itself from her bag.

What could it have possibly been, you ask? Well, let's go investigate, shall we?

...Wait, did you see something? A small figure just scurried across the floor! Surely, you had to have... Oh, wait... Damn it, I have to stop making that mistake!

B-But you believe me, right!? Hm, was that small figure the item that was freeloading inside of Compa's bag?

A small gray rat was scurrying around the floor. Wait, can it be? Is he actually in this story? By the gods, it's... now, don't shoot me here... I mean it... this is what I'm going with, and will continue going with until the end... ready?... it's Pirachu! How in the name of Lady Black Heart did he wind up here? Well, do you want the answer? Great, because I'm gonna give it to you anyways!

It had all began when Compa was on her way back to Neptune's house. While walking, a huge swarm of dogoos had emerged on the road, surprising the poor nurse-in-training.

"Oh, please, get out-of-the-way, dogoos. I need to get back to Nep-Nep and Ge-Ge... I would really appreciate it if you let me by... If you don't move, I'm gonna be a really mad Compa!" Wow, she sure was gonna be there for a while. Anyways, while she was delayed, a familiar rodent had spotted her from afar.

"Huh, is that...?! My sweet, sweet Compa, it really is you!" Pirachu gasped upon seeing the distant image of his one, true love. It sure had been a long time since he had last seen her lovely face. Why, had it really been around the time the Deity of Sin had been defeated? Wow, that felt like such a long time ago.

The gray rat paced back and forth, working up the nerve to talk to his sparkling angel. "Well, it's now or never, chump." Intent to reveal his love for the human goddess, he took off at full speed... for a rat, of course. Upon reaching her, however, he found she was already occupied.

Simply talking to the dogoos was not yielding any results any time soon, so she resorted to drastic measures. "Here, Mr. Dogoo, would you like some tea?" Compa had managed to locate a rather huge dogoo, no doubt a leader of the bunch. The creature looked at the medic and babbled incoherently.

"My lovely Compa is so kind, chump." Amazingly, the grand-master dogoo had taken the tea, and gulped it down in one humongous slurp. He then babbled to the rest of the smaller dogoos, who then proceeded to bounce out-of-the-way.

"Thank you, dogoos! Don't forget to maintain good hygiene!" She sure is something else, huh?

As the nurse began to turn back towards her bag, Pirachu panicked. "I-I can't do this! Ah..." Quickly, he ran into her bag, and dug himself beneath all the random items in there. Miraculously, he did not get pricked by any of the syringes. Compa slowly walked back to her bag, and picked it up, oblivious to everything. Henceforth, she wound up at Neptune's house, and then Noire's.

After they had arrived at Lady Black Heart's residence, right when everyone headed outside to greet the arrivals from Lowee, Pirachu took his chance to escape the stuffy bag, and hid under a nearby sofa. Now, with late night approaching, he was free to spread his legs a bit. Or so he thought.

"Whew, now where am I? If only I could contact Linda... Hm, some cheese would be nice right about now, chump." So, the rat wandered into the kitchen, and walked right into some young man sitting on the floor. He shook his head, apologized, and waltzed over to the fri...! Wait, was that a young man!? What the hell is he doing here?

Oh, I hope no one finds him here!

Oh crap, we're jump-cutting to another scene. This can't be good...

With one last kiss, the two CPUs collapsed. "A job well done." Noire panted out jokingly. Neptune actually struggled to catch her breath for a moment.

"Wowzers, Noire... Did you, like, take a class or somethin'? I'm still seein' stars..."

Lady Black Heart hugged the ditz as tight as she could, threatening to never let her go. However, Neptune soon spoke up.

"Y'know, I think you deserve a sammich, Noirey. It'll be my treat. Be right back!" Without any warning, Neptune hopped out of bed, hastily put on her pajamas, and journeyed to... the kitchen! Goddamned coincidences!

Noire blinked in confusion, but rested her head down. A 'sammich' would be good right about now.

Neptune entered the kitchen, and flicked the light switch, catching Pirachu completely off-guard. The rat hid under the counter, which conveniently had enough space to maneuver under.

"Whoa... what do we have here!?" Lady Purple Heart sang as she nearly tripped over the man on the floor. The young man, who couldn't have been more than 18 years of age, groaned as he opened his eyes.

"H-Hello... Where am I...?" He questioned, looking around the room curiously. This young man had light-brown hair, and purple eyes. He was rather handsome, if I do say so myself. The type of man a girl could fall in love with quickly and... dangerously.

"You're, like, in Noire's house! You know the goddess, right? Well, she lives here." Thanks, I don't think he'd have figured out that people live in their houses.

"The goddess, huh?... Wait, then you must be... Neptune!" He spoke as if some long-forgotten secret had just resurfaced in his mind. Wait, how did he make that connection?

"Cooleo! How did you figure out my name so quick?" That was her way of confirming my surprise.

The man picked himself up, and he was now standing face-to-face with Planeptune's CPU. He was slightly less than a head taller than her. "The voice in my dream told me that I would meet a goddess named Neptune, and that together, we would save Gamindustri. Hm, but she never said you'd be this beautiful..."

Neptune's eyes lit up at hearing about this man's dream, and she completely tuned out his cliché compliment. "Did the voice have a name? Cause, like, I hear a couple of voices in my dreams every once in a while." Try to word that a little less creepy next time.

"I think her name was... Histoire. Yeah, that was definitely it!"

"Awesomesauce! Histy's right upstairs! Let's go talk to her right now!" Gee, Neptune sure was taking this guy's sudden appearance rather well. She probably shouldn't be that trusting of strangers.

The ditz took the man by the hand, and dragged him out of the kitchen. Hm, guess Noire was never getting that 'sammich'. Before they climbed the stairs, though, Neptune asked a rather important question. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot! What's your name, strangah?"

The man blinked for a moment, then smiled; It was a perfect, manufactured smile you only see on daytime soap operas. "My name... is Adrian."

Wait, that's it? Not some twist, like 'Actually, I'm your dad' or 'I'm Arfoire, bitch!'? Wow, that's odd... Is his name symbolic for something?... Man, I got nothing...

Well, as that scene unfolded, one last event was transpiring on this hectic night. Let's have one last look before we bid each other farewell, for this installment at least...

Blanc, now not feeling tired in the slightest, watched Kei as she read some book that looked rather uninteresting. She couldn't get to bed, but there was nothing else she could do. Oh, why couldn't she be at home? At least there, she could stay entertained.

Lowee's CPU let out a groan, which caught Lastation's oracle's ears. She placed her book on the desk and turned her head towards the bored goddess. "Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

Blanc turned her eyes at the other woman, clearly irritated. "No, I'm not okay. I've never been more bored in my entire life, and I was suspended in a graveyard for three damn years!" Well, at least she's honest.

Kei nodded, and thought for a moment. I'm not sure why, but I swear I can feel some strange energy flowing about... nah, maybe it's just me.

"Can you promise me that you won't tell anyone else about what I'm about to show you?" the oracle asked suddenly. Blanc still looked pissed, but confusion now joined her expression.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? You're not about to do something perverted, are you?"

Kei didn't respond, but instead stood up from her desk and walked over to the light switch. She flicked the switch a total of ten times, which... well, caused the lights to rapidly turn off and on.

"Are you feeling alright?" Blanc inquired, confused at the girl's intentions. Right after asking that, a clicking sound resonated throughout the room, and a secret compartment on the top of the desk opened up. Her eyes widened.

Kei casually walked back to her desk, and reached into the compartment. She pulled out... a classic game controller? I'm with Blanc; What the hell's going on?

Using the directional pad and face buttons, she input Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, and A. Another click, and one whole segment of the wall opened up. Blanc jumped out of bed, quite curious, and rightly so.

"After you." Kei spoke, motioning for the goddess to head into the newly opened chamber.

"T-This isn't some shitty trick, right?" The oracle merely shook her head no. Figuring 'Ah, what the hell', the CPU walked in.

Immediately after entering through the secret doorway, Blanc gasped out loud. Behind the wall of Kei's plain-old room was a gaming paradise. Consoles from every era of gaming were here. Planeptune, Lastation, Leanbox, Lowee, and possibly other mythical landmasses were represented in this grand hall. At the center of it all was the biggest HD television Blanc had ever seen.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed, unable to hold herself back.

Kei smiled as she walked up to her. "I hope you won't be bored during your stay, now." Blanc looked at the oracle, completely at a loss for words. Just who was this woman, and how had she managed to erect such a massive shrine to gaming? This oracle surely was more than meets the eye.

Kei walked over to the library of games, and looked at the goddess. "I have quite a lot of multiplayer games, but I've never had a player two before... Do you want to play?" Was it just Blanc's imagination, or did the oracle seem... rather adorable just then?

Now, on a normal day, Lowee's goddess would choose to read over playing games. This was not a normal day, however. "Ha, hell yeah, I'll play!" Man, now Blanc is acting all chirp and full of verve. What is the world coming to?

Well, in any regard, perhaps Blanc's stay in Lastation won't be such a boring drag after all. Maybe she will even make a friend...

So, my faithful readers, what shall tomorrow bring for our heroines? Will Nisa wake up in time? Will IF get herself in even more trouble? Will Linda's life get even more perverted? Will Narrator continue to freak out at himself? Will the missing characters ever show up?

These answers, and much more, will either be answered, or annoyingly skirted around, next time. Hopefully, I'll see you all then! Until that day, however, farewell!


	3. Act III: Farandole

IF slowly opens her eyes and briefly looks around the room. It wasn't hers, that's for certain... In fact, it was Lady Green Heart's room on the ship to Lastation. She was about to sit up, but remembered how that always played out before, so she remained still. Once she figured the coast was clear, she hopped out of bed as quickly as she could; She didn't want any surprises.

Laying in the bed was Vert and Chika, though both were thankfully still wearing clothes... thankfully for IF, at least, if that previous thought sparks your imagination. The oracle was lovingly clutching the goddess' waistline. They both looked quite peaceful, if I do say so myself.

The brunette sighed to herself, and ran a rugged hand through her long hair. Plainly speaking, she felt horrible. Why had she said those things last night? Oh God, 5pb would probably never forgive her for breaking her heart like that. Never before had IF so desired to just whittle away like dust in the wind. Frankly, she believed that was more than she deserved.

"I gotta apologize right now! Crap, even if she doesn't want to see me ever again, I should at least get everything off my chest..."

So, IF sprinted out of the room, her sleeves billowing behind her. Next stop: 5pb's room! Hopefully, all would go well...

Oh, wait, I forgot what story this is. There's gonna be a catch, right?

In record-breaking time, the warrior reached the room, and immediately slammed open the door. "5! I really need to talk with you ab..."

The scene before her, quite frankly, nearly killed the brunette. Sure, 5pb was lying in the bed, but... she wasn't alone.

"Ah!... IF... I..." The response came not from the blue-haired idol, but from the naked woman on top of her. Never before had Cave looked more like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Cave!? 5? Wha-What's going on...?" IF could not hold back the tears building in her eyes.

"What do you care, IF? You've lied to me this entire time." 5pb said that!? I simply can't accept this! ...Well, regardless of what I think, the idol looked up lovingly at the SMD warrior. "Cave has always been there for me; She has always been willing to sacrifice everything just to make me happy. I kinda feel bad about all that, actually. I really don't deserve that kind of treatment..."

"Don't say such blasphemous things! You are the most wonderful woman ever to grace the face of Gamindustri." Cave lowered her face to the idol's. "In a pefect world, the people would celebrate your existence instead of the goddesses. That much I am sure of."

"Oh Cave... I love you so much."

The bullet-hell queen blushed, and gave her new lover one tender look. "I love you too, 5pb. I always have..." The two could no longer hold back, and embraced each other in a powerful kiss. IF had seen enough. Before she knew it, she was running towards the deck of the ship, tears flowing behind her. She sat against the railings and began berating herself.

"I'm such an idiot... Shit, why did I push her away? I love her... damn it! Oh, just kill me now!" This is getting painful to watch, I must say.

However, IF was not alone on the topside of the ship. Hm, but who could it possibly be? "Hey, don't do anything rash now, y'hear? Things can't be that bad." A man's voice trailed to the brunette's ears. She wiped her eyes and looked up.

"W-Who are you?" she asked. The young man smiled, his teeth a perfect gleam of white.

"Me? Oh, I'm just a simple game designer, nothing special. I'm heading to that expo in Lastation. But, man, barely made it here on time. Got too into my training, and got on board two minutes before departure. Crazy, huh?"

"T-Training? What type of training...?" Her tears had gone, but she still sounded a little stuffy.

The man ran a hand through his brown hair. Hm, so this man was a brunette like Miss IF... Why does this seem so familiar? "Heh, well, it's kinda embarrassing, but I like fighting monsters. I kinda was inspired by that group of girls who took down ASIC a while back. Maybe I could uphold their legacy, y'know... Wait a minute! Are you...?"

The man covered his mouth with one hand in total shock, while the other pointed at IF. She blushed in response. "Yeah, I was one of those girls... b-but it's no big deal, really! We just did what we had to do."

"Oh, man, you're IF! You..." The man's cheeks reddened slightly, "... you're my favorite. Ah, I can't believe I'm talking to the legendary IF!"

IF turned her head in embarrassment, but her huge smile could clearly be seen. "Stop... I'm no legend..." Truth be told, Iffy hoped beyond everything to someday be a legendary figure, or at least some poetic allegory. When she would someday join the pixelated gods, the world would know of the woman, the enigma, the juggernaut, that was IF! This man's words resonated directly in her heart; She was losing herself.

"Oh, man, look at me rattle on about myself. I haven't even told you my name yet! I'm Gino. You could say I'm your number one fan... but, don't think I'm some creep or anything!" The man laughed, and so did IF. Getting a good look at him, she found that he not only had brown hair, but the same green eyes that she did. Hmm...

"Hey, I'd be honored if we could talk again some time. Maybe get some lunch, or... you could give me some tips for my training, maybe?" Gino held out his hand.

IF smiled as bright as she could, and shook the young man's hand. "Yeah, I think I'd like that... It's nice to meet you, Gino."

"Likewise, IF." Suddenly, a crack sounded into the early morning air. The two hand-shakers instantly turned their heads towards the side of the boat where the sound had seemed to appear from. What could possibly have created that sort of sound?

Gino motioned for IF to stay still, and he tip-toed over to the railing. Slowly, he peeked his head over the side.

In an instant, he was rolling on the deck, groaning in agony.

"Holy shit, Gino!" the brunette called, running over to the pained man. He was clutching his face quite intently.

"Shit... something's burning my face!" Ah, that explains the clutching...

"Ju... Just hold still. I'll go get help!" Though, who the hell could she go to? Vert and Chika were sleeping (and honestly couldn't help if they tried), and 5pb and Cave were...

Before she could run off, however, something boarded the ship... What the!? It's that golden dragon from IF's dream!

"Ah, what the hell!? You...!" The brunette's eyes widened in total fright. The dragon hissed at the writhing man, then slowly approached the warrior. "...What do you want from us?"

The golden beast lightly touched IF's nose, as if to tell her that everything would be alright.

"Snap out of it, Iffy! This isn't real. Fight it!" A girl's voice sounded in her mind. It was quite a surreal feeling, really... Huh... This definitely is not in the script...

"What the hell is this?" Gino snarled, picking himself up.

"H-Hey, don't strain yourself!" Iffy ran over to the man, trying to help him up.

"Run, IF; That thing is pure evil." Gino was now clutching the brunette's sleeves with intense force.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" She put her arm around the young lad, and aided him to his feet. The dragon, however, was not having any of that. It dashed forward, knocking the man back down.

"Get away from us!" IF screamed. She reached into her pockets, and was horrified to find that she did not have her blades. Oh dear, had she forgotten them at home?

"IF...take this..." Gino, still in heavy pain, tossed the warrior five throwing knives. Not the best weapon, but at least it was something.

She took one and tossed it at the beast. Nary a scratch. A second one yielded nothing better.

"Crap..." She lobbed a third knife. Nothing; the golden dragon hovered closer still. "Go away!" The fourth one caught the beast in the eye. IF brightened up for a second, thinking this would scare it away. However... well, you know what kind of story this is...

The beast roared ferociously into the sky, and dashed right into IF. Before she could even react, she was sent hurtling into the cold, cruel sea...

Suffocating darkness began consuming young Iffy. Was this the end? Oh, dear, I can't watch...

Wait, what is that light approaching her? "Iffy, take my hand, 'kay?" It was the same voice she had heard when the dragon touched her. More than that, it was a familiar voice, though IF wasn't sure why. Had they met before, in another time, another place?

...Another world?...

Out of options, the brunette reached out to the light, and felt a soft, warm hand pull her in. For a brief second, she felt... happy; at peace...

IF's eyes lurched open, and she inhaled deeply. Wait... she was back in bed? She snapped her eyes to her side, and saw Vert and Chika slumbering peacefully. She hopped out of bed, and ran to the deck of the ship. There was no sign of Gino or the golden dragon...

Only one more thing to check. IF slowly entered 5pb's room, and saw a fully clothed idol sleeping soundly. Her chest rose and fell gently as she dreamt away. So, no sign of Cave, either...

"Was it... another dream? But it felt so real..." Iffy dragged her feet back to Vert's bed, deciding that now was not the time to apologize; She should wait until morning, if this uneasy feeling was anything to go by.

As she lay her head back upon her pillow, she thought about the vivid dream. Just who was that Gino guy, and why was that dragon constantly making appearances? Well, at least she hadn't fully lost the idol yet. There was still hope...

Hm... this whole thing smells quite fishy, if you ask me. I was led to believe that there would be no dream sequences in this story, and yet, there have been two lengthy ones! And behold! We aren't even through with the opening yet!

Darn... we better get some answers soon. I'm sure you agree with me on that!

Oh, well... without further ado...

**Chapter 7: Aria of the Soul**

Finally, the fated day of the game expo had arrived! However, life for our heroines, as it is for most of you mortals, is filled with much more serious complications than that...

As we've just witnessed, young IF has had a falling out of sorts with her girlfriend, 5pb, and is still being plagued by chilling nightmares. In that regard, Lady Green Heart has acted quite flirtatious with her, as well. That is certainly not helping things along...

Furthermore, Underling, one of the last remaining followers of ASIC, had been tasked by the spirit of CFW Magic to bring a woman named Nepgeo to Lastation. For what purpose, nobody is truly sure, though I suspect that Nepgeo is, in fact, an ASIC member as well. What is certain, though, is that Linda and the false Purple Sister have been engaging in... quite a peculiar relationship, to say the least... Oh, and that the word 'though' is going to be used quite a bit from here on out...

Moving along with vague plans, Nisa had been sent by the Narrator of this story (who really isn't a narrator, the way I see it) to investigate and shut down a secret Avenir facility that was going to strike our heroines at the game expo. She had managed to find a hidden underground laboratory, but before she could fully investigate, she was knocked unconscious by an unseen assailant. Will she wake up before disaster strikes?

Finally, Neptune and Noire had decided to step out of the closet about their relationship, yet had failed to find the opportune moment. Unbeknownst to them, Compa and Histoire already were aware of their status as a couple, and young Nepgear accidentally witnessed them in a tender moment outside. Will the news ever come out? And will their companions accept the news if it ever arrives?

... Oh, crap, I nearly forgot! Late last night, Neptune discovered a mysterious brown-haired man named Adrian in the kitchen. He claimed that Histoire's voice had guided him there, and that he was destined to save Gamindustri by Neptune's side... What is all that about? Why does Gamindustri need saving? Is he referring to the calamity that is supposed to happen at the game expo later today? Only time will tell...

Whew... how was that for expositional recaps? I just paraphrased most of the last two chapters in a few scant paragraphs! Man, that felt good...

Heh, sorry, I guess now's the time to say 'without further ado.' Well, what are we just waiting around here, for? Let's get this show on the road!

And what better way to jump-start this chapter than with a flashback to the middle of the night?... Why did I have to say it was already a new day, if I was immediately gonna have to send you all back to last night? Man, this story's weird...

After being introduced to Adrian, Neptune dragged the young man upstairs, and headed for Histoire and Compa's room. The door was shut, signifying a desire for privacy, but our purple-haired goddess had other things in mind. With a potent "Umph!", she kicked open the door, slamming it against the wall.

Compa continued sleeping soundly, but Histoire looked around frantically. She laid her eyes upon Neptune, and frowned. "Neptune, just what do you think you are doing? You could have awoken everyone in this house! Need I remind you that there are children in the other room?"

Lady Purple Heart looked at her toes as she shuffled her feet. "I'm sowwy, Histy... It's just, I got so excited... Look what I found downstairs!" The goddess reached behind her into the hallway and pushed the brown-haired man inside the room. He smiled awkwardly, a sweatdrop clear on the side of his head.

"Hello, I'm Adrian. I suppose you are Histoire? So sorry to wake you." He bowed politely. Too politely, if you ask me.

"Oh, that is all right..." The book fairy glanced curiously over to the CPU. "Neptune... may I ask where you found this man?"

"Sure thing, Histy, but... dontcha already know? He was downstairs in the kitchen, and said you sent him here to help me save the universe! Ring any bells?" By now, Neptune was peppily strutting around in a circle in front of the oracle. It was the book's turn to produce a sweatdrop.

Histy put her hand to her chin in thought. "I... don't recall ever calling anyone by the name of Adrian... In fact, I haven't called out anyone at all. Furthermore, there is no crisis that needs solving at the moment... Are you sure you're in the right place?"

The man rubbed the back of his head. "That's strange... A voice came to me in a dream and told me to find Neptune. They used your name."

"Hm... what else did this voice say?"

The man looked stumped for another moment, then bolted upright as he remembered something. "Oh yeah! The voice told me to tell you this when I found you: 'I have four wings, but cannot fly; I never laugh, and I never cry. On the same spot I'm always found, toiling away with little sound. What am I?' There, does that mean anything to you?"

Planeptune's oracle's eyes lit up, and she immediately grew more serious. "Hm, a riddle, it seems. Truly fascinating... I will need some time to think of an answer..." Oh boy.

"So, does that mean we can keep him!?" Lady Purple Heart asked with clear anticipation.

"Fine, have him stay. I need to figure this out..." She didn't look at Neptune when answering; She was too distracted by the random riddle. What a one-track mind...

"Awesomeness! You can stay in my room!" The ditz cheered, and she dragged Adrian back into the hall. Histy didn't even notice that they were gone.

Neptune kicked open Noire's door, scaring the tsundere to high-heaven. "AHHHH! What the hell, Neptune?"

"Noirey, we got a guest stayin' with us..." The ditz sang. Adrian slowly entered the room, looking quite uneasy.

"H-Hello, I'm Adrian... Sorry for the door. She keeps doing that..."

Noire eyed the young man suspiciously. "Um, hi, Adrian... Er, did Nep kidnap you? I told her not to do things like that, but, y'know..."

The man smiled bashfully. "No, nothing like that. I was sent her to help you guys... though Histoire told me there was no real crisis... I-I don't want to be a bother; I can stay somewhere else if you'd like."

"Pwetty pwease, Noiwey~" The ditz cooed.

Lady Black Heart shook her head, and sighed. "If Neptune trusts you to stay... then I guess you check-out." So touching to see the trust between these lovers!... Sadly, I'm not as confident in Neptune as Noire is. "However, you'll probably have to take the floor. Only one bed, after all."

"Ah, thank you so much... Noire." He bowed his head again, acting quite the gentleman. "The floor will do just fine." The man found a good section of the carpet, and sat down. "So... are you two friends?"

Noire blushed at the question, unsure what to say... Really, all she had to do was say yes. It seems her mind was too caught up on when to reveal their relationship; In the tsundere's mind, any question directed to her revolved around outing herself.

Neptune, however, had no qualms of the sort, at least anymore. She was tired of waiting. "Oh, we're more than just friends." The ditz ran over and cuddled against Noire's face. Lady Black Heart's eyes were wide with shock. What was Neptune doing? "I'm gonna make Noirey my wife someday, yessiree!" Well, their biggest secret was out. To a man they just met moments ago.

The man's eyes widened in shock. Ha, that pleases me. "O-O-Oh... Well, congratulations, you two..." What else could he say? ... That was a rhetorical question. I would have said something much more intelligent.

The room was silent for a while. Noire looked away, and Adrian lay on the floor. Neptune quickly darted her head around, confused dots for eyes. "Ummmmmm... Oh yeah! Imma get you that sammich now, Noire!" The ditz quickly hauled out of the bedroom.

The tsundere looked at the young man with one scrutinizing look. "So what's your deal, buddy? What do you really want with Neptune."

Adrian looked up and smiled. "Why, whatever do you mean, Miss Noire? I am merely here because the fates deemed it so. It has been decided that my destiny is to save the world at Neptune's side... Beautiful Neptune's side..."

Lady Black Heart squinted her eyes in visible distrust. "Well... don't try anything funny. Neptune... Neptune's mine, okay?"

The brown-haired young man continued to smile, though something about him- perhaps the way his face contorted slightly- seemed quite off-putting for a moment. "Aha, yes... But for how long will she be yours, Noire?"

"W-Wha?"

"What if Neptune thinks of you as but a mere phase in her life? Phases are meant to be outgrown, Miss Noire. There may just come a day when lovely Neptune realizes that she wants more, needs more. When that day comes, someone else will have to fill the void in her heart..."

Noire was frightened; Completely and utterly frightened. Adrian's words struck her heart with a horrible ferocity. The man looked no different, but he was now giving off a completely different aura. Who was this stranger?

The man stood up, and began walking towards the door. "That day may dawn at just about anytime... It may even arrive tomorrow..." He stepped out into the hallway, but then turned to face Lady Black Heart again, now smiling like his usual charming self. "I'm just gonna go wash up in the bathroom. Be right back!" With that, he was off.

Noire held her head for a moment, coming down from that horrible feeling. Why had she been so willing to let the man stay with them? She wasn't going to get any sleep, that was for sure.

Well, at least they would be heading to that game expo tomorrow morning. It would give her time to prepare for revealing her feelings to her friends, and figure out how to get rid of this Adrian guy. For now, all she could do was hope for the best...

* * *

Beams of light from the rising sun snuck through the blinds of the room in the love hotel. Feeling the heat brush her face, Linda opened her eyes and readied herself for the busy day ahead. She sat up, looking back at the mysterious young woman sleeping next to her.

"The hell is this feeling?" Underling mumbled to herself as she looked at Nepgeo's tranquil face. Something stirred in the pit of her stomach, but she chalked it up to embarrassment over last night's events. What had come over her? "Guess I better get dressed..."

Right as she stood up, Nepgeo's head stirred, and her eyes opened. Raising an eyebrow, she asked "Just where do ya think you're goin'?" Underling scratched her head.

"I'm getting dressed. We can't just stay in bed all day." A sensible answer.

"No, no, no... You can't get dressed without me!" The purple-haired imposter jumped out of bed, and locked her arm around Linda's waist. "We need to help each other! Don't you know anything?"

"What the hell? I don't need any help!"

"You're missin' the point, babe. Ya see..." Nepgeo pulled Linda closer, and then stood as tall as possible, giving off the impression of great pride. "In my opinion, people spend too much time cuddling and taking off clothes, that they don't appreciate the simple act of putting them back on. This outrage has to be nipped in the butt! So... we're gonna dress each other, slowly and sensually!"

"Oh God... Fine, let's just get this over with..." Outside, Underling was regretting this moment as all hell. Inside, her heart was fluttering. She truly was enjoying this!

And thus, the sacred act of... getting dressed was underway!... Hm, if you wholeheartedly want to see this scene in its entirety, then you can write it yourself, as well... though I personally don't see the point... I mean, if writing about girls putting clothes on each other is your thing, then by all means, have fun! Hell, you can probably get away with a T rating, or something...

Oh, uh, it seems some of this scene is to be covered right now. Ahem...

Linda finished slowly pulling the... bikini top over Nepgeo's head, and nodded. "T-There... that should be everything..." Whelp, seems like we skipped Underling getting dressed. Pity... I kinda wanted to see that... D-Don't look at me like that! She has nice... clothes!

Nepgeo crossed her arms and shook her head. "Not quite! Sure, I can walk in public now, but you forgot one small detail..."

Linda considered just how the girl's outfit constituted public decency, seeing as how it was a replica of Nepgear's upgraded HDD clothes: Namely, a two-piece bikini. And boy, did Nepgeo fill it out...

"What the hell could I have missed? I put on your stockings, your damn panties... Hell, even your arm sleeves, which I still don't see the point in. You definitely didn't have any more clothes yesterday."

Nepgeo snickered. "I guess you were too distracted by my body to notice, then. Heh, can't say I blame you." The girl pointed to her bikini bottoms, and Underling's gaze journeyed downwards. She hadn't noticed it before, but there was certainly a protuberance on her derriere... Wow, I actually just used the word derriere... this story's gonna be the end of me.

"Go fetch it on out, baby." The purple-sister imposter teased.

"Ah, hell no! Y-You get it yourself!"

"Heh heh heh... All I want you to do is reach in my panties and take out the last piece of my outfit. Compared to what you did to me in the shower, this is K-rated..." Hey, only I'm allowed to reference the fanfiction rating system!

"Grr... damn you..." Underling cautiously wrapped her arms around the girl, and reached into the backside of her bikini bottoms. She felt some type of... hair-clip? "I suppose you want this on your head?"

Nepgeo nodded with a smirk, and Linda removed the clip from the tight undergarment. Blushing lightly, she placed it in the girl's hair.

"There... ya' happy n..." Upon seeing the hair-clip, Linda went silent with pure confusion. What is this crap? "What is this crap?" Wow, I'm good!

"Surprised?" The girl wrapped her arms around poor confused Underling's neck, and whispered in her ear. "You were never alone, Linda baby."

This had to be a dream, Underling thought to herself... She doesn't know like I do that there are no dream sequences in this story.

"Y-Y-Y-You... you're with ASIC!?" The question came out for all to hear! The hair-clip was in the shape of a familiar logo Linda knew all too well; It was the logo imprinted on the back of all the pirated products ASIC had been responsible for selling.

The girl shook her head to the side, letting her long purple hair flow in the wind. "I'm more of an associate than a full-fledged member, but, yeah, I've done business for them. Hey, attracting cute girls is a costly endeavor; Needed money from somewhere."

Underling struggled to find an appropriate response. So, she and Pirachu were not the last remnants of the crime syndicate after all! Hm, but this begged an important question: Why hadn't CFW Magic told her about this revelation? Ah, and how much did Nepgeo really know?

"Is that why you were so eager to go along with me?" The green-haired woman asked upon regaining some composure.

"Sorta... One of the dead higher-ups came by and told me that you'd show up, so I was kind of expecting your arrival." Linda thought back to her first encounter with Nepgeo; She had immediately been sprayed with pepper spray. Was that some cruel joke?

"W-Who told you about me? Was it... CFW Magic?"

Nepgeo smiled at Underling, and lightly shook her head. "Nope! It was actually CFW Trick." The green-haired woman shivered at the mere mention of that fiend's name. The purple-haired imposter continued smiling, albeit a bit more deviously. "Ah, so Magic asked you to find me, and you obeyed without a second thought... Damn, you've got it hard for women in skimpy clothing."

Linda reddened under the playful eye of the newly discovered ASIC member. "I-It's not like that, dammit! I've always trusted CFW Magic with my life... If she wanted me to meet you, then she must have a pretty good reason..."

"Well, I hope you've put your trust in the right person." The girl lightly pecked Underling on the lips. "I'd hate to see you get your little heart torn in two."

Linda tried, but failed to suppress a smile. "W-W-Well... why are you so trusting of that fat, creepy bastard? I get uncomfortable just by thinkin' about him."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that guy's gone. Honestly, I only listened to him because I didn't have to do anything. All he told me was that some non-nubile maiden was gonna drop by, and that I had to follow her to..." The girl cracked a wide grin suddenly. "Hey... heh heh, Magic didn't tell you where to bring me, did she?

Underling raised an eyebrow, and cocked her head to the side. "Of course she did! She told me to bring you to Lastation, and then..." Hm, the rest would fall into play? See, for all my faults, at least I can remember the vague clues people bring up. I believe that I have improved in that regard...

"That's really all she gave you? Geez, here I was hopin' you were keeping me in the dark. Well, lucky for you," Nepgeo made a dramatic pose towards the sky, "I know where we have to go!"

Now, Linda's eyes widened again. "Wha... seriously!? Well, what the hell are you waiting for? What do we have to do?"

Nepgeo teasingly brushed Underling's hair out of her eyes. "Well... you must be my date to a game expo today. What we do there, though... I have no idea; Nope, not a single idea! I assume we just fool around until some opportunity arises..." More teasing touches. "I guess it's up to you to show me a good time, baby. Make sure to hold my hand the whole time~"

"Ju-Just shut up!" So, the travel itinerary for today was set! Linda would be escorting the flirtatious Nepgeo to that fabled game expo! What, pray tell, did they need to do there, though? Only time will tell, my faithful readers! See you in our next... oh, whoops... We're not done with this installment yet... Wow, still a lot more to go. This one's gonna be a doorstopper, folks! Well, I guess that makes sense: There are only supposed to be four installments total in this story. Yes, you heard it here first, folks!

* * *

... Um, hey, where is Narrator? Here we are, back in this endless white void of a room, but no one is here.

...Ah! There he is now! Wonder where he's coming back from?...

Narrator, still entirely shrouded in that black cloak, calmly walked back to his default standing position.

"Hm... all the pieces are now in play, it seems. By midday, everything will be set the way it should be." What is he mumbling about now? Does he know Nisa is knocked out? That is probably gonna shoot a hole in his plan to stop Avenir...

"Just two more chapters should be enough..." The man picked up his microphone, and took out a piece of paper. Just what is written on those pieces of paper? Is it just the chapter title? Narrator certainly doesn't dictate all the details; That's my self-appointed job. There's no way any part of this story is written on them.

Oh well, here he goes...

**Chapter 8: Heartful Cry**

IF yawned, and slowly sat up. Lady Green Heart looked at her, and smiled. "Good morning, Miss IF. Are you feeling better today?"

The brunette nodded slightly. "Yeah, kinda... My head hurts, though."

"Oh dear, we can't have that. Let me go fetch you a glass of water." Vert stood up and began leaving the room.

"Wait! You don't have to..." Too late; The goddess had exited the room. IF sighed, and followed her into the hall. She was still groggy, so she didn't notice Cave walking in front of her. "Ah!" She collided into the woman, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry!" IF frantically apologized. Cave simply shook her hand, seemingly not bothered at all.

"That's all right... To be perfectly honest, I wanted to talk with you about something."

The brunette warrior lifted herself up, and then helped the woman stand. "Uh, sure... What did you want to talk about?"

Cave looked downwards, seemingly struggling to find the right words. "Um... Lyrica told me what happened... She's pretty broken up, you know..." The SMD warrior refrained from looking into IF's eyes. "She came into my room last night, bawling her eyes out. She thinks she's done something wrong."

"N-No! Lyree hasn't done anything wrong at all! It's... it's all my fault." The brunette covered her eyes with her huge sleeves. "I've let these nightmares get the best of me..."

Cave cocked her head at that last statement. "You've been having strange dreams?... That's... also what I wanted to talk with you about." IF, clearly interested, leaned her head forward to listen. "For the past few weeks, I've experienced some vivid dreams of my own..."

"You too!? W-What are they about?"

"It changes from night-to-night, but most involve Lyrica, you, and myself. However, a strange man has appeared recently. I can't be completely certain, but I'm sure I've never met him before..." Hm, so the mysterious Cave has been dreaming about strange men too. What does this all mean?

"Pardon me asking, but... who is that man? Like, what's his name, and what's he look like?" IF needed an answer to at least some of her questions, and she was tired of taking no for an answer.

The SMD warrior simply nodded. "He had brown hair and emerald-colored eyes... kind of like mine. I think his name was... no, I'm sure it was Jitterbug." Iffy blinked in confusion. "Yeah, not really a common name."

So, a man named Jitterbug appeared in Cave's dreams. Even more intriguing is that, apart from the eye-color, this young man looked identical to both Gino and, although IF couldn't have known, Adrian. What is happening to Gamindustri?

"IF... may I confide in you something?" Cave asked hesitantly, out-of-nowhere to be frank.

"Sure thing... shoot." The brunette was still preoccupied with her thoughts over the men in their dreams, so it was unlikely she was paying too much attention.

The reddish-haired woman sighed, then begrudgingly declared "These dreams are making me think... inappropriate things, to say the least. Before Jitterbug appeared, they almost always revolved around Lyrica, and they would cause me to reflect on how wonderful she is..." This part definitely caught the battle-hardened veteran's attention, though. "IF, I love 5pb; I love her, and I was almost fooled into taking advantage of her last night..."

Iffy was stunned at the woman's brute honesty, and wasn't quite sure how to respond. Cave continued, looking wholeheartedly ashamed. "I don't know what they are, but those scenes I witnessed couldn't possibly have been dreams; They were too real. I managed to control myself last night, but who knows how long I can last. IF... if you're experiencing similar 'dreams', please don't give in to them. They have to be some sort of evil hell-bent on corrupting us... I fear that Lady Vert has already succumbed to their lies..."

IF, still stunned, thought to how flirtatious Vert had acted lately; Was she, too, having these vivid 'dreams'?

Cave still had a bit more to say, it seemed... "I know for a fact, IF, that Lyrica has been a much stronger person ever since she began hanging out with you. You bring out the best in her. If you truly care for her, then go to her right now. Corny as it sounds, perhaps you can defeat these dreams by pronouncing your love for her. If it will bring back a smile to her face, then I'm all for it."

The brunette nodded, realizing everything in that instant. Those dreams, or whatever they were, had been acting as some sort of poison. Slowly, but surely, they had deteriorated IF's resolve, causing her to question her own emotions and feelings. Up until now, they had been clouding her mind, causing her to drift apart from 5pb. However, that would all change from this point forth! IF knew she was in love with the pop idol, and by the gods, she was gonna tell her.

"Thank you, Cave. I'm gonna apologize to her right now..." The brunette began sprinting off. "Wish me luck!" She called. Cave smiled to herself and waved. It was a smile composed of happiness, sadness, and a bit of jealousy. Despite her hard exterior, she truly was torn up about seeing 5pb, her best friend, so much in love with somebody else. However, I doubt Cave's feelings will ever come to the surface...

The brunette could see 5pb's door, and was determined to go even faster. Almost there, almost there... Oh no!

Iffy crashed spectacularly into Chika, sending both women right into the ground... Well, that's what physics would have you believe. In reality, IF collided into Chika, and the oracle responded by grabbing hold of her long sleeves and launching her up a staircase, sending her a good couple of feet... Yeah, I'm not too sure what just happened either. At this point, I'm just going along with the flow. If Chika wants to act like a ninja, then more power to her.

"Ah!" IF screamed as she flew up the stairs. Before she hit the ground, though, she landed in the cushioning bosom of Lady Green Heart.

"Please pardon Chika's actions; She's just a bit excited, is all." Vert explained casually, as if the event just now was as common as the air we breathe. Chika was obviously excited over the extravagant dress the goddess was wearing at the moment. I'll spare you the details, but it would bring even the strongest-willed badass to their knees.

"Hell yeah!" Chika cheered as she approached the two ladies. She locked them both into a surprisingly strong hug. "You girls ready for action?"

"What are you talking about?" IF asked as she was squeezed by the oracle.

"We were just about to head out to the game expo, Miss IF. If you wouldn't mind, we would appreciate your company. Cave and 5pb have agreed to head out a bit later." Vert said. Chika nodded peppily, staring hard at the goddess' lavish costume.

"Wha... but I..." The brunette sputtered out. She hadn't realized that the boat had already docked in Lastation. She must have slept in quite dramatically.

Hey, wait a minute!... Where's that glass of water Vert promised?... I guess it's not important, but I know it's gonna bother me like crazy...

"I knew you'd understand. Let us disembark." The three ladies made it to the off-ramp of the ship, IF reluctantly tagging along.

"Wait for me, Lyree..." She whispered without a sound. As they began stepping off the ship, Vert held out her hand.

IF looked at the hand, then at Vert's face. The goddess simply smiled, and waited for a response. At a loss for options, the battle-hardened veteran took her hand in hers, and both departed without another word. Chika, however, wouldn't shut up...

Next stop, the game expo!

* * *

... Huh? Wait, we're going back to Noire's house in this chapter? That's quite unprecedented for this story! I don't think IF's problems have ever been grouped in the same pile as Lady Black Heart's! I guess we're at quite an important stage in this story...

It was around eleven o'clock in the morning, and Nepgear and Uni were hard at work.

"When's the last time you cleaned the barrel?" Nepgear inquired.

"For that one? Um... I can't remember the last time I even used it..."

The two candidates were busy spiffing up and reorganizing Uni's entire gun collection, a deed they performed at least once a month. This time, however, they were being much more thorough in their efforts. Surprisingly, Nepgear was a pro when it came to gun handling.

"Goodness, look at the rust on this one." She exclaimed upon picking up a triple-barreled shotgun... Now, I'm not a gun expert, but I'm not sure that's an entirely efficient weapon. Just doesn't... click with me, I guess.

"Oh, yeah, that's the one I found in the mud a few weeks ago! Never got around to tending to it." The young tsundere said, her cheeks sporting a rosy tint.

The purple-haired candidate nodded, and immediately went on fixing up the weapon. As she went about her work, she went back to thinking about Neptune's relationship with Noire. The initial shock had subsided, but she now felt a hearty helping of embarrassment in its place. Worse yet, Uni was absolutely clueless over the matter.

Nepgear looked up from the gun and turned to face Lastation's CPU Candidate. "Hey, Uni, I need to tell you something. I don't want you to be too surprised but-" At that instant, the door burst wide open and slammed against the wall. Neptune's crazed face stood in the doorway.

"Sup, Nep Jr! Noirey's lil sis! What's shakin' bacon?" The two candidates could only wave, surprised looks overtaking their entire faces.

"Ugh, Neptune, stop doing that..." Noire pushed Planeptune's goddess out-of-the-way, and stuck her head into the room. "Hey, you two... Neptune and I are about to head to a game expo. You in?"

"There's a game expo today? Wow, I had no idea..." Nepgear looked at Uni, silently asking what she wanted to do. The little tsundere shrugged why not. "Um, sure, we'll go with you two. Give us a moment to get ready."

"Awesome! We'll be waitin' at the door for ya!" Neptune cooed as she danced down the hall. Noire nodded to the candidates, and followed after the ditz.

The two prepared to tidy themselves up, when Uni spoke up. "Hey, so what did you have to tell me?"

The purple sister froze for a second, rethinking things over. "Oh, it's nothing... I was gonna ask if you wanted to add any decorations to the shotgun over there..." She had decided against telling Uni right this moment, so as to prevent any awkward moments at this expo. Hopefully, that would be the right choice...

As the two young lovers got ready, Noire and Neptune stopped by Histoire's room. "Heya, Histy!" Neptune sang as she waltzed into the room, the tsundere standing behind her to make sure the door would not be slammed. "Listen, me an' Noirey are heading to some funky game expo. You wanna' roll with us?"

The tome fairy shook her head. "Sorry, Neptune, but I am far too busy right now. You go have fun without me." Was Histoire still thinking about that riddle? Come on, you're the wise oracle here! Even I can see the answer to that riddle is 'a windmill'!

"It's all good... What about you, Compa?"

The medic looked up at her friend, and smiled sadly. "Sorry, Nep-Nep. I'd love to go, but I need to restock on my medicine. An empty syringe is a sad syringe, you know!" Compa explained with the logic only she could understand... Actually, I think Neptune was savvy in this department, as well.

"Aw... Well, okay then! We'll be sure to getcha lots of souvenirs!" Neptune waved to Compa and Histoire, and followed Noire to Kei's room. Strangely, the oracle had been incredibly silent this morning.

"Kei, Blanc? You two in there?" After a moment of silence, a clicking sounded on the other side of the door, and rustling could be heard. Finally, Kei opened the door, breathing heavily, and hair slightly frazzled,

"Yes?... Ah, hello Noire... What do you want?"

"Umm... Well, I'm taking Neptune to a game expo, and I wanted to know if you want to come with us. Nepgear and my sis are coming, as well..."

Kei nodded in understanding, but declined the offer. "I'm afraid I can't go. Blanc's... been feeling rather sick, and I feel it is my responsibility to tend to her. She is staying in my room, after all..." The oracle rarely, if ever, lied to the goddess. However, if Noire suspected anything was up, she didn't speak out.

"Ah... ok, then. Well, I hope she gets better soon..."

"Yes... I do as well." Kei turned back into the room, but glanced back at Noire. "Have fun." With that, the door was quickly shut.

"Well, what are we waitin' for? Let's go, baby!" Neptune shouted as she glomped the tsundere from behind.

"Ahh!... Let go of me! I-I can't move with you clinging to me like that!"

The ditz giggled as she let go, and dragged Noire down the hall. At the stairs, they bumped into Adrian.

"So, you two ready to go?" he charmingly asked. Noire eyed him angrily, but Neptune pumped her fists into the air.

"Awwwwww yeah!" She screamed, and jumped down the staircase.

"Please do be careful! You might hurt your flawless ankles!" Adrian called as he ran after her. Noire shook her head, wondering why that strange man had to come along. Oh well, hopefully he wouldn't try anything suspicious...

Soon after the CPUs headed outside, the two candidates came down the stairs as well.

"I hope Rom gets better soon..." Nepgear said, clear sadness in her voice. The two had just visited Mina's room to see if the twins wanted to go, but Rom had a stomach-ache. Ram refused to go without her sister, so they would all be staying home for today.

"She'll be fine." Uni rested her head on Nepgear's shoulder. "Just relax for today, ok?"

The purple-haired candidate nodded, and brightened up a bit. Today would hopefully be yet another flawless date for the young, innocent lovers. I fear, though, that this engrossing dream would not come to be...

As the candidates walked out of the house, and were introduced to the man named Adrian, Pirachu peeked his head out from under the sofa.

"Where are those losers going without my dear Compa? I better follow them, Chump." So, the rodent slyly pursued the travelers. Wait... he's following them because they're not bringing Compa? Why doesn't he, I don't know, follow Compa when she goes to refill her medicine? Ugh, makes no sense...

* * *

Well, here is Narrator once again, just... standing around, doing what narrators do best, I guess.

"Show some honor in your actions, demon! What will you gain by using my form!?" The man screamed. Oh no, he's talking to himself again!

"Be silent, you fool! I will not let you interfere with the plans I've toiled endlessly over! Give in; It will all be over soon..." Narrator stood straight up, and took out another sheet of paper. "Friction has already been cast between one. With this final chapter, I am certain enough energy will be gathered. At that point, it will be entirely up to Nisa to finish it."

"You... FIEND! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

"Heh heh heh... We have always been the same entity, didn't you know? Your struggles against my will is futile. Give up; It will make things so much easier."

"Grrrrr... No, I... can't!...NOT UNI!" Narrator screamed, and fell to his knees.

...What the hell was all that? Damn... I wish I knew what everything all meant.

...Wait, but what good would all that do? I couldn't do anything if I tried... I've slowly come to realize that I'm... useless in this story... Hell, I'm useless, period. Even if I spot some grand injustice about to befall our heroines, I can't help them... I'm isolated from everyone, and... they wouldn't even trust me if I did manage to show myself. Sure, I'm much different now, but how would they ever believe me...?

...Ugh, let's just see what Narrator starts up now...

**Chapter 9: Love So Blue**

"Keep in steady line! Gust is not responsible for any broken limbs as result of trampling!" Oh hey, Gust actually is in this story!

Gamindustri's business-savvy alchemist was merely one of the many vendors present at the game expo of the year. Hoping to capitalize on the huge audience, hundreds of small-businesses and lone entrepreneurs open up booths here. It was a fast and easy way to make a quick buck.

Gust, for the record, was selling some type of portable phone charger. Sadly, though... this doesn't seem to pertain to the plot. Sorry Gust fans; She's most likely not slated to be too important in this story. Maybe next time...

Anyways, by midday, our heroines had made it to the game expo, and were casually venturing around, unaware of what fate has in store for them. Let's drop in on them all, shall we?

... Oh my! Why is Neptune no longer in a group with Noire? Uh oh... No, I sense another flashback coming on! Why couldn't this scene have just taken place in the present? It had to have been only, like, five minutes ago! This story makes no sense!...

... Oh, I give up. Cue the flashback...

The group was standing right outside the game expo's entrance, gawking at the massive throng of attendees.

"Wowzers, there's so much people!" Neptune gasped in awe. Indeed there were, but I just said that, Neptune.

Adrian walked beside the ditz and put his hand on her shoulder. "Stay close, dear. Can't have you getting lost, y'know."

Neptune nodded triumphantly. "That's true, Aidrey! We need to save the world together, right? I can't just go and get kidnapped by some old dude today!" I hope she's not striving to get kidnapped any day.

As Neptune and Adrian had fun in their strange ways, Noire was losing her composure. To put it plainly, she didn't like this man. The fact that he had now donned a new nickname from her own lover made her even more furious.

Nepgear also felt uneasy about this whole situation, now knowing what she knew about her older sister and Noire. She could feel Lady Black Heart's rising rage, and knew that she was about to blow.

Uni, in turn, could detect Nepgear's uneasiness. Being left out of the loop, her imagination ran wild with possible reasons for her girlfriend to feel distress. Man, this chain of emotion was threatening to tumble like some set of dominoes.

And the first piece was about to fall...

"Let's charge forth, men!" Neptune shouted at the top of her lungs. She lurched her hand in the direction of the entrance, ready to move out. Adrian took this opportunity to hold onto her other hand. Noire saw this subtle movement, and flames instantly formed in her eyes. Now, I'm not quoting Lady Black Heart or anything, but I'm sure she wanted to boldly declare 'Oh, it's on, bitch!'

"Hold on, Neptune." Noire yelled as she walked up to the young man. "Are you sure you want this guy to come with us?"

Lady Purple Heart cocked her head in confusion. "Hm? Why shouldn't he come with us, Noiwey?" She frazzled the man's hair. "He's clean, and not smelly. I think he fits right in with us."

The tsundere stared at Adrian intently. The young man cowered beneath her frightening gaze. "Neptune, this guy's a creep; Anyone with eyes can see that! He's just trying to use you! Histoire doesn't know who he is at all; Don't you find that a little suspicious?"

The ditz's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you callin' me stupid, Noiwey? Well, well, well... I think that calls for a time out!" She quickly pulled over Nepgear, causing the young girl to gasp out loud. "C'mon, Nep Jr. We're gonna go on ahead without Noirey! Maybe she can come back when she's not being a grumpy-pants." With that, Neptune pulled Adrian and her younger sister closer to the door. Nepgear glanced at Uni and Noire, pleading for help.

Lastation's goddess was flabbergasted. "Neptune! W-Wait!" Neptune looked at her lover, and grinned slyly. With a flash, she transformed into her HDD form.

"Sorry, Noire, but you need some time to improve your mood. Nep Jr, transform with me; It will allow us to maneuver through the crowds with ease." Lady Purple Heart spoke with sophistication. Gone in an instant was her airheaded demeanor.

"O-Ok!" Nepgear shouted, a bit stunned. She, too, activated her HDD form. Hm... would an incredibly skimpy and revealing outfit like that really allow her to move around easier? Oh well, I'm not making the decisions.

"I suggest you two transform, as well. It won't serve as a perfect disguise, but it will delay people in discovering our identities. When you have calmed down, Noire, you may look for us."

Noire wanted to shout out to the love of her life, but it was too late; The ditz's new party had vanished from sight. Noire looked to her younger sister. "I guess it's just you and me, then... Come on, we can have fun without them." She didn't sound too thrilled.

"Uh... okay..." Uni said with confusion, not sure what had just happened. Why did Noire care so much about Neptune hanging out with that Adrian stranger? On top of all that, Uni had very little experience in having fun with her older sister. The two never really hung out like this.

The siblings of Lastation transformed, and began to journey inside.

So, the group was now split into two: Neptune, Nepgear, and Adrian; Noire and Uni... I really hope this separation doesn't come back to bite us all.

* * *

"Ooh, ooh! Buy me a necklace, babe!" Nepgeo chanted. Linda sighed.

"Why the hell would I buy you a necklace?... Wait, we're at a freakin' game expo! If you want a damn necklace, go to a jewelry store!" A valid point, indeed. However, there was a surprising amount of jewelry merchandise here, though most had something to do with games or anime.

"Linda~... get me that necklace with the orange-haired moe on it! It's so adorable..." The purple-haired imposter gleamed as she pointed out the object in question.

"Wha... Didn't you hear me? I-I'm not buying you no stinkin' necklace!" Underling shouted as she reached a hand into her wallet. Despite her protests, the ASIC member was excited at the thought of buying things for the rambunctious young girl. She couldn't quite put her finger on why it made her glow inside, but perhaps no explanation was needed.

Nepgeo began pouting, and turned her back to Linda in protest. The ASIC member took this opportunity to slip the vendor some cash, and picked up the desired necklace. Taking more initiative than she anticipated, Underling lightly put the necklace with the orange-haired moe around the imposter-Nepgear's neck, and hugged her from behind.

"...Here... D-Don't look into this too much. I... I just wanted to get you to shut up! Yeah..." Underling couldn't hide her embarrassment.

Nepgeo instantly flipped around, and was now facing Linda. Wow, how the hell did she do that? "It's beautiful, babe... Thank you..." She lightly whispered, and then the two joined their lips together. No shame or hesitation between the two; Just pure, unadulterated lust... and perhaps something more?

The two broke apart before a crowd could form, and walked to another part of the expo. Ah, the action-RPG section! I wonder what they will find here?

As they walked hand-in-hand, something nagged inside Linda's mind; A question, maybe a concern. While she would usually just bottle it up, an uncontrollable urge made her blurt it out; Could it have been destiny?

"Hey, so, um... how many women did you really, you know... 'get with', or whatever...?" She immediately regretted asking.

However, Nepgeo simply grinned. "Oh hohoho! Is my wittle Winda jeawous?"

"I-I-I-I'm not jealous! And stop talkin' like that!"

"Heh... Quite a few young girls. Hell, I barely knew some of them. Like, there was a time where I would just approach a random chick in the street, and within the hour, I'd totally be in her pants."

Underling scowled a bit. "Yeah, like I'd believe that. Are you tellin' me that you don't even need to try to pick up girls?"

"I got you pretty fast, didn't I?"

Linda blushed. "T-T-That's different! You... knew I was looking for you. That gave you ample time to prepare your mind games!"

The purple-haired imposter snickered. "So, you don't believe in my skills, huh? Fine! How about I prove them to you?" Linda raised her eyebrows. "I'm gonna walk up to a random girl in this room, and totally make out with her. If the kiss lasts longer than a minute, and she never puts up a struggle, then you must admit defeat. You in?"

Underling thought for a moment, and then replied: "Fine, go ahead; It's on! But if you lose the bet, then you gotta empty your wallet for me!"

"Heh heh... definitely. But... if I win, and I totally will, you must do exactly what I say. Understood?"

"Yeah, sure, just... go find a girl already." As Underling said those words, a twinge of... some dark feeling surged throughout her heart. What could that feeling be?

Nepgeo grinned again, and walked a few steps forward. Glancing quickly around the room, her eyes came upon a young woman with short red hair, and a rather revealing outfit. Seems she was serving as security at the game expo. I hope that won't end up being ironic in any way...

The purple-haired imposter waved to Linda, and went on the prowl. Like an expert sleuth, she snuck up behind the security girl and lightly brushed against her back.

"Oh, whoops, clumsy me; I really need to watch where I am going... Hey, what's your name, little lady?" Nepgeo remarked, feigning clumsiness. The girl turned around, revealing... Falcom?

Hear hear, faithful readers! Falcom is indeed in this story! I... I think that's everyone at this point! Color me surprised!

...I wonder if she's merely serving as a cameo in this story, like Gust. Hm...

"Ah, that's alright, young miss. Although I am a stock adventuress, I can be rather clumsy myself. The name's Falcom!" The short-haired girl declared vibrantly, holding out her hand. "Hey... aren't you... Ah, Nepgear! How's my fellow adventuress doing on this fine day?... Wait..."

Nepgeo shook her head slightly. "Oh no, did you think I was Nepgear? Actually, I'm Nepgeav, the queen of Yourtube!..." The imposter lightly stroked Falcom's hand. "My, my... what beautiful hands you have..."

Falcom smiled in confusion. "O-Oh, so sorry, Miss... Nepgeav? Ah... what are you doing...?" Nepgeo lowered her head, and lightly kissed the Adventuress' hand.

"Wow, has anyone ever told you how lovely you are? Geez..." Now she lightly stoked the confused girl's stomach. "... your skin's flawless. I could rub against you all day..."

Falcom, not sure what to do, became even more flustered. "Uhm... wha...?"

Nepgeo now rubbed her hand against the short-haired girl's soft cheek. "Do you want me to show you pleasure most people can't even dream about? I can bring you places you never knew you wanted to go..."

"Um, uh... I'm not really too sure what you mean...?..." She grew more flustered by the second, her face now completely red.

"Don't be afraid... Just surrender yourself to the moment..." With that, Nepgeo brought her lips to that of the innocent Falcom's. A twinge of... something... washed over Linda as she witnessed the scene before her. Was this... jealousy?

The kiss lasted a good minute, Falcom completely given in. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if her head was mush right now.

At the two-minute mark, Nepgeo separated herself from the dazed girl, and teasingly touched the tip of her nose. "There's more where that came from. Come look for me if you want the full package..." One more soft peck on the lips, and the imposter was gone. Falcom just stood there, trying to collect her thoughts. That's gonna take a while, I presume...

"There... I win!" The purple-haired imposter boasted. Linda blushed, and sighed.

"W-Well... I was wrong... Fine, you win; What do you want me to do?"

"Linda, baby... I want you to follow me!" Nepgeo pulled Underling along, bringing her to an empty bathroom. "Ah, there we go... finally, some peace and quiet... Take me, babe."

Linda's eyes widened even further. "T-The hell're you talking about!? We... we're in public, y'know! Someone's gonna see us!"

The other ASIC associate shook her head. "Not if I lock this door up, nice and tight..." Somehow, some way, she locked the public restroom completely. "Now, this isn't the most sanitary of places, but I don't care right now. I need you, Linda... right here... right now..."

Now poor Underling's head was going to explode. "...Shit... Wha... Ah, screw it!" She pushed Nepgeo to the floor, and... there they go, folks!

* * *

Perhaps most frightening of all to me is just what Magic and Trick wanted Linda and Nepgeo for. Why did they need to come to this game expo? What did they need to carry out?

...Did they already do what they needed to do?

"Miss IF, may I have a word with you?" Ahhhhhh! ...Oh, it's just Lady Vert. Phew, she startled the living daylights out of me...

Iffy and Vert were off playing game demos together. Seems Chika had separated from them, trying to find some fancy merchandise for her 'sister'.

IF turned towards the goddess. "Sure, what's up?"

"It's... about my actions the past few days..." IF blushed a bit, pretty sure she knew what she was referring to. I guess those flirtatious actions had been going on well before this story began. Let's look at some more of them right now...

...Huh, no flashback this time? Well, that makes things a little simpler. I guess you just need to use some more of your imagination...

Lady Green Heart continued. "I've been acting like a complete fool this whole time, and I believe I owe you an apology." The goddess looked at the brunette with a concerned expression.

"Wha-What do you mean? You don't need to apologize to me, Lady Vert!" IF remarked, a bit louder than she had hoped. Her nerves were acting up again.

"Miss IF, I have acted so unseemly towards you, and the blame must fall squarely on my shoulders." The goddess looked towards her feet. "It's just... I believe I love you. And with all that's happened the past few weeks, I let my mind get clouded with all sorts of delusions. I'm truly sorry, Iffy."

The battle-hardened veteran didn't know what to say. Lady Green Heart, the goddess she secretly looked up to, loved her. It was just like yesterday's dream, only this announcement was a little less... perverted than that one.

"Lady Vert... I had no idea you felt that way..."

Green Heart smiled. "You truly are an amazing woman, IF. However, you do not belong to me. You love 5pb, correct?"

The brunette nodded without a second thought. "Yeah, I love her..." There was nothing else to say.

"Then I shall no longer get in your way." With that, the goddess embraced Iffy with a friendly hug. "If you ever need anything, Miss IF, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"Thanks, Lady Vert... I'm honored by your kindness; I really am." The two ended their embrace and smiled at each other. Right on cue, Chika stumbled over, waving her arms frantically.

"Guys, I just called, and Cave says she's on her way! They'll be over in about ten minutes!" The oracle grabbed Vert from behind, and started playfully munching on her ear. "She's gonna help me find some perfect gifts for you, Vert!"

"I-Is Lyree coming too?" IF asked hesitantly.

"Yessiree! We got a full party on our hands!"

The brunette sighed in relief. Once Lyrica got here, she would apologize her heart out.

"Well, should we find another game before they get here?" Vert asked casually. Chika nodded intently.

"Yes, that'd be great. You wait right here, Vert; I will find the best game your little heart can handle!" The oracle dashed into the crowd, looking for the perfect booth. Leanbox's goddess could only smile as she watched her run off.

Something was still nagging at IF, though. "Hey, Lady Vert... Just out of curiosity, have you been having... strange dreams lately?"

Vert thought for a moment, then looked at the brunette. "Why, yes, I have. They have been quite vivid, now that you mention it..."

IF's eyes lit up. "Has there been a man in them? Possibly with brown hair? A strange, out-of-place name?"

"Hm... in fact, yes, there has. For the past few nights, a young man named Itsuki frequented my dreams." Lady Green Heart embarrassedly rested her cheek on her hand. "As I remember, he was quite handsome, but I kept telling him that I wasn't interested. My, it's so funny that I had to turn down a figment of my imagination's advances..."

IF nodded at the goddess. "Thank you, Lady Vert... I was just wondering..." So, her suspicions were correct. Whatever those 'dreams' were, they must've brought out the deeply repressed emotions in Lady Green Heart's soul. Yes, almost exactly like they did with Cave and the battle-hardened veteran herself.

Just what is going on here? Why are young men invading the vivid dreams of these three maidens?

... And why did a young man appear out of nowhere at Noire's house?...

Well, in any case, IF was now waiting intently for the appearance of the love of her life. Any minute now...

Hm... I'm surprised Miss IF hasn't noticed yet... Y'know, that thing in the pocket of her absurdly long coat?... You have no clue what I'm talking about, do you? She's had it this entire installment, I believe... O-Oh well, maybe if I don't bring it up, it won't need to be used...

* * *

Neptune hovered about the crowd effortlessly, Nepgear and Adrian close behind. They weren't moving around aimlessly, though; No, Lady Purple Heart had a goal.

"Goodness, Neptune, please slow down! There's so many people..." Nepgear called frantically, struggling through the hordes of people.

Neptune didn't seem to hear her cries. Soundlessly, she continued on her journey for... something...

"My, my... whatever could she be looking for?" Adrian asked in his charming voice. Nep Jr. looked at him in slight surprise; They hadn't yet spoken directly before this scene.

"I-I don't know... whatever it is, she must feel pretty strongly about it." Indeed she did. However, I too, do not know exactly what it could be...

After a long trek, Lady Purple Heart eventually came to a halt. She held out her arms, and instantly disengaged her HDD form. "Wowzers, there sure is a whole lotta people. Whelp, at least it's clear right here." The ditz grinned at her sister and Adrian, and gave them both a thumbs up.

"Hm? What's up, sis?"

Neptune began walking off. "I gotta go do something important, yo! You two can go do whatever you'd like. I'll find ya when I'm done!"

"Neptune, wait!" Adrian cried out suddenly. "Take me with you!" Nepgear looked confusedly at the man. "I-It is my duty to keep you safe at all times!"

The ditz thought this over for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, you can come along, Aidrey. Don't worry about us, Nep Jr; Go and have a super awesome time!" With that, Neptune and Adrian separated from the candidate.

"Huh... guess I should go find Uni..." An innocent goal, one that couldn't have any negative repercussions...

As they walked, the young man took hold of Neptune's hand, just like earlier. This time, however, the ditz noticed the subtle action, and hopped away. "Woah, woah, woah! What are ya' doing, buddy? You can't just go holdin' my hand like that! If Noirey sees that, you're gonna get an epic smackin'!"

The man looked into Neptune's eyes fiercely; Something had changed in his face ever since the two split from Nepgear. "Lady Purple Heart! I... I feel like I've really gotten to know you on this quest! Run... Run away with me, Neptune! We can escape the evil clutches of that damn tsundere, and live out the rest of our days in happiness. Let's go!"

Neptune, usually of the happy-go-lucky demeanor, grew a startled expression. "Uh, Aidrey... what are you talking about? We haven't even gone on that quest yet... and I will never run away from my waifu! Did you eat the pudding that was in my suitcase? That stuff expired two months ago..."

I'm with Neptune here. I never liked this guy, but... he never seemed this insane before. What the hell is going on? ...And wait, she packed expired pudding in her suitcase?

"I love you, Nep Nep! Let's leave this cruel, oppressive world behind, and start over! We can both have a clean slate! Come wi..." In a flash, Adrian collapsed to the floor.

...! Lady Neptune! She... She whacked the crazed young man with an obnoxiously large mallet!... Hell yes! Go, Lady Nep!

"Gee, that was creepy. Gotta remember to tell Noire she was right..." Neptune turned and went back to her search, humming a happy tune. Hm, almost as if nothing had just occurred... I'm glad she's ok, but would a little shock on her part be too much to ask?

* * *

"Nisa!... NISA!"

The heroine of justice stirred awake at the sound of Narrator's voice. "W-Wha? Who's there!?" At once, she sprang to her feet, and rubbed her throbbing head.

"Phew... finally. I've been trying to contact you for hours." Huh... I don't recall Narrator ever trying to reach her; All I've seen lately is him yelling at himself.

"Ow... What happened to me?"

"I assume you were attacked. Strange, though... I detect you're still in the same room. Why would they leave you lying there?"

Nisa glanced around, and found that she was indeed in the same location as before. "Perhaps my unseen assailant was frightened away by my devotion to justice!" Yeah, I don't think so, Nisa. "Anyways, so what am I looking for, exactly?"

"There should be a rather blatant 'START' button somewhere in that lab. You'll need to press that, but only when I tell you so. It's not exactly time yet."

The girl, intrigued, took a quick glance around the room, and found the random button attached to some type of power supply. "...Ah, here it is... So, when should I press it?"

"I'll contact you when it's ready. Hopefully, ten minutes is all it will take."

Nisa nodded in understanding, and drew her fist in a heroic pose. "Understood! I will wait for your call!" Well, now all she had to do was wait...

But how would she possibly kill the time? By looking at those mysterious tubes, of course!

Gulping, the heroine of justice walked back over to the section of the lab labeled "Operational Companions," and looked at the structures.

She came upon the tube that had unsettled her greatly the day before. The label read "Almaz", and below that was simply her own name. "What could all of this mean?" Nisa looked up from the label, and stared at the figure inside. Now that she looked closer, she could see that... a young man was inside the tube. He was nude (but conveniently censored, mind you), and had brown hair... What in the name of Gamindustri?

"Great halls of righteousness! Why is a man trapped inside of a contraption such as this!?" She looked in shock at the man's face some more. Quite a handsome face, if I do say... so... myself... Hey, have I said that line before?

AHHH! Oh shit, I think it moved! "Woah!..." Nisa recoiled back, apparently seeing the same thing I can see. 'Almaz's' eyes opened instantly, and they silently stared back at the heroine. Frightened beyond all sense of the word, she moved to the other tubes. Hm... Would looking at the other tubes really be the best idea right now?

"They're... they're all alive!?" Each of the tubes either held one of two things: A brown haired young man, or nothing at all but a name tag. And, indeed, all the men were alive, though most still seemed to be asleep.

First, Nisa frantically looked over the tubes with the men inside of them. One was inscribed with 'Adol-Falcom', another with 'Leonhardt-Chika', and yet another with 'Iksel-Gust'. How peculiar... What the hell is all this?

"Falcom... Chika... Gust? Why are my companions' names listed with these men?" The heroine of justice knew that something dark and sinister was going on, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Perhaps even worse than the men in the tubes, though, were the tubes that no longer had anyone inside of them. What could that imply?

Please, Nisa, move your head a little to the side! I want to read what the empty tubes say! Drat... we're moving to another scene! W-Well... maybe we'll see what they say before the end of this installment!

* * *

Nepgeo cuddled against Linda on the cold, hard floor of the girl's restroom... Really? Were their libidos really that empowering over them? Couldn't they have waited until after the expo?

... *sigh*... Sorry... I'm just really... nervous right now. I sense a dark presence in this section, and I feel like... I'm in danger... Maybe I'm just being paranoid...

"Ya know, Linda... I think I can handle falling in love with you." The purple-haired imposter sighed.

"Wha...!? I..." Underling was in no state of mind to analyze that statement, let alone respond to it.

"Ha... you're so adorable when you're flustered~"

This 'tender' scene was interrupted by a massive knocking sound on the door. Before the two could think, the locked door flew right open. Huh... was it really even locked?

"Crap! Shit! The hell!?" Underling shouted out as much swears as she could in one quotation. Nepgeo was equally surprised, and the two, at a loss for options, huddled up together in an attempt to cover themselves.

The figure in the doorway simply smirked. "Do not fret, children, for it is only me." Ladies and gentlemen, CFW Magic has entered the building!

"Ah, CFW Magic, ma'am! I... I apologize for our... appearances at the moment. W-We weren't expecting you..." Linda bashfully reported, trying to act as professional as possible. Nepgeo simply nodded.

A light chuckle. "I understand, you two; You have done nothing wrong. No, I am here to announce that your task is almost complete."

"Seriously?... But we haven't done anything yet!" Nepgeo spoke this time, obviously confused.

Magic waved her hand. "Oh, but that is where you're wrong, child. You have done exactly what you were meant to do. There's just one little thing left..." The woman pointed at the nude Underling. "Linda, I need you to get dressed and follow me. It will only take a moment. After this last task, you two will have set me free, and ASIC can rise again."

The two girls looked at each other. "Sh-Should I go with her?" Linda asked rather innocently. Seems she really didn't want to leave the purple-haired imposter's side. I have a feeling everything will be better off if she doesn't leave, but hey, what can I do?

"I guess you should... I mean, she is your... our boss, right? She's dead, but she's still our boss..." Nepgeo smiled at Underling, and saw the weird expression on her face. "Hey, don't worry about me! I'll get dressed and play some games. Hell, I won't even pick up any girls, so you don't need to get jealous or anything!..."

Wow... even Nepgeo seems to be uneasy. I guess I'm not the only one...

Underling nodded, and hastily put on her clothes. "Well... guess I'm goin' now... b-but I'll be right back!" She blurted out nervously. Nepgeo stood up and replied with a soft kiss, then nodded back at her.

"Good luck, Linda. Get your ass back here soon, k?" The flirtatious girl said with a sad chuckle. "Partners shouldn't be away from each other for too long, y'know?"

The green-haired ASIC member nodded solemnly, and felt her heart twinge yet again; Something the purple-haired imposter just said must have struck a subtle blow, or whatever... I don't know...

With that, CFW Magic led Underling out of the room. A moment later, a burst of white light shone through the doorway. Nepgeo quickly ran to take a peek, but found that no one was on the other side. "Damn, they sure got away quick... Where the hell'd they go?"

Hm... I can ask the same question. I... I can't detect Linda at all! Hell, even when Nisa was unconscious, I could feel that she was still alive and well in this story, but... this is different. It's like... Underling's no longer susceptible to our surveillance. Oh, I hope everything is going to be alright...

* * *

**INTERMISSION: Darkness**

Lady Black Heart and her younger sister walked along, silent due to the awkward atmosphere. Uni was uncomfortable around her big sis, and Noire was too busy thinking to communicate with anybody. Finally, though, she broke the silence.

"So, Uni... I hear you've been spending a lot of time with Nepgear lately... Do you have anything you want to tell me?"

Lastation's CPU Candidate froze in place. "W-W-W-W-W-Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, Kei may have mentioned it once... or twice..."

Oh dear! Was Uni's secret out? "Well... yeah! She... She's my best friend! Friends are supposed to spend time together!" True, true...

Noire sighed softly, coming to some agreement inside of her head. "Ugh... Then, I guess it comes down to this... Can I let you in on a secret? It's... kinda major, but... I guess you have the right to know." The tsundere blushed profusely, not able to grasp the proper words to say. "However, you have to promise to tell me your secret too! If you agree, then... I won't judge whatever you have to say... Understood!?"

Uni nodded painfully fast. "U-Understood!"

"Okay... for a long time now... me and Neptune... Neptune and I... have been... dating..." Whew... almost thought she would never say that.

Uni's eyes widened at the revelation, and her face developed a potent blush. Still, Noire had upheld her side of the bargain. It was now time for the candidate to come clean...

"Um, wow... Ok then... Uh, well, big sis, I've... kinda been dating Nepgear for the past few weeks... Please don't get mad!" Well, now it was all out; Both sisters knew the truth.

Noire sighed again, but smiled at her little sis. "Heh... Well, I guess Nepgear's a nice girl. Certainly better than anyone else I feared you might date."

"... So, you and Neptune really are...?"

"...Yeah, I love that little brat..." Noire blushed, and turned her head away. After a moment, she looked back towards Uni. "Well... you want to be with Nepgear right now, don't you?"

"Um... no offense, big sis, but... we were hoping to spend some alone time together today..." The candidate rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

The goddess put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Don't worry about me. Go look for her; I'm gonna go find Neptune before she does something stupid."

"T-Thanks, sis!" Uni quickly scampered off. Noire smiled to herself, then went about looking for her ditzy lover. All in all, that went much smoother than she expected...

It wasn't the only thing that would go smoothly, however...

Uni's search had brought her all around the game expo, until finally, she arrived in the action-RPG section.

"Oh man, where could she be?" Uni sighed to herself. The crowd was too thick. However, the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of the color purple. "Nepgear!?"

She turned to face the alledged Purple Sister, and stopped for a moment. Uni couldn't see the girl's face, but she had to be Nepgear; She looked identical from the back! However, something about the whole scene was... off.

Nepgear was walking up to a girl. "Falcom? Wow, I didn't expect to see her here." Before she could register that something was wrong, it was too late; 'Nepgear' and Falcom were locked into a fierce kiss.

Uni's eyes widened in horror, and her palms became clammy with sweat. Suddenly, everything dawned on her; It all made sense now. Why had Nepgear been acting out of the ordinary lately? Obviously, it was because she was cheating on her!

The little tsundere's eyes welled up with tears, and she ran as fast as she could, breaking down into a sobbing mess. She found a corner to stuff herself in, and cried her heart out. How could Nepgear betray her like this!?

After a little while, Uni slowly stood up, and began searching for the exit; She had to run home. At least there, she'd be safe from heartbreak.

However... fate isn't that kind. Nepgear emerged from the crowd, and walked up behind Uni, unaware of everything that's been going on.

"Uni! Whew, I thought I'd never find you! How a-"

"You traitor! Get out of my sight!" Uni interjected.

"Wha-? Uni, have... have you been crying? What's wrong?" Nepgear grew incredibly concerned, and put her hand on Lastation's candidate's shoulder.

"Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" Uni pushed Nepgear with all her might, knocking the poor candidate to the ground. She then proceeded to run into the humongous crowd.

"Uni!? What the goodness!?" The purple-haired sister sat on the ground, ready to cry herself. Despite what Uni thought she saw, Nepgear had spent this entire time looking for her. What she really saw was...

Nepgeo advancing on Falcom...

...! My God, I get it now; I get it all! CFW Magic told Underling to find Nepgeo, and bring her to Lastation. CFW Trick also told Nepgeo to attend the game expo there, though left out what to do.

They had planned for Linda and Nepgeo to start some physical relationship, which would all lead up to that purple-haired imposter kissing Falcom. Dearest Uni would, of course, be there to witness the cruel scene, and would misunderstand it entirely. Thusly, she and Nepgear would be torn apart!

... No! I... I just let this happen! Here I am, the only one who could connect every scene in this story together, and I didn't see this coming! I-I truly am useless, aren't I?

I'm... I'M SO FREAKIN' PISSED RIGHT NOW! THAT BITCH'S BEEN USING ME ALL THIS TIME! SHE KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN! ARRGGHHHH!

...

...Ugh, my head... Oh dear, I... I truly apologize for that... unsightly outburst just now... Changing is hard, let me tell you that...

I'm... gonna be frank with you, faithful readers. I... I was not always the being that I am today. No, far from it: I was a monster who's only desire was to inflict pain. Everything about me involved pure, unadulterated rage...

Then one day, while facing my mortality, I came to an epiphany: I no longer felt as angry as I did before. For some reason... I became like a new person entirely. Hell, me being able to communicate with more than basic vocabulary is a sign of how out-of-character I am!

Anyways, about the same time that I agreed to mend my ways, I was... offered a prominent role in this... cursed story. However, I declined, because I just couldn't bear the thought of... showing my face in the limelight. You see, no one in their right mind would like the old me... but I'm so different now that none of you would enjoy my presence either! Fans don't like it when characters' personalities are radically altered, even when dealing with a freak like me...

So, instead of becoming a main character, I decided to 'stick it to the man' and become the uncredited enunciator of this entire story. My sole duty would be to dictate everything for you; I would be the man behind the curtain, so to speak. I am now practically omniscient, but... I am unable to share my knowledge with the rest of the cast.

I now only have to associate with you readers; No one else. You, the readers, will not misjudge or denounce me for who I am if I only show myself through mere words. I am safe from the rest of the world, which is full of those horrible, cruel, devastatingly scrutinizing eyes...

Better yet, I will never be able to harm another being ever again... But was this all the right choice? Is this the right path to walk down?

...Oh, what's the use... Why am I letting this all get to my head? As I just explained, even if I had figured out this whole crackpot scheme earlier, I couldn't do anything to stop it... Let's just finish this installment...

Oh, great... I can actually see the labels in the empty tubes now. Ugh, simply stunning...

...Wait! That name! That empty tube is inscribed with the name 'Adrian'... and along with his name is 'Neptune'...!

'Adrian-Neptune'; That's what this empty tube says... No... No!

The other empty tubes! Can it be?... Yes, it is true!

They read 'Gino-IF', 'Jitterbug-Cave', 'Itsuki-Vert', and... 'Alex-Nepgear'?

... Noooo! All of these brown-haired men are part of this evil scheme too, aren't they!? What in Gamindustri's name is going on! Those men in the girls' 'dreams' are real after all! But, if those weren't dreams, then... what were they?

...That's it; I've had enough! I'm sick of hiding in the background while watching these heroines' relationships crumble right before my very eyes. It's time to man up and face the world. I have to help them! I must stop-

...Wait, what was that noise? Is... is someone in this room with me?

Holy... Linda? What is she doing in here?... O-Oh no, I can't do this! I... I can't let her see me! I-I got to hide! ...

...

...

...Um, is this thing on right? Geez, what the hell is this place?

...So, all I have to do is read from this script, and maybe add some colorful commentary of my own?...Why? Damn it all! Magic finally gives me another important quest, and it's some menial crap like this! Why couldn't CFW Magic do this herself? I really don't see how this is gonna help things...

Oh well, guess I better read what's on here...

... Blah Blah, something about tubes; Like I really give a shit. Hm... Ah, let's start right here... That justice-filled asshole grew more and more horrified with each name she read. The name of this section of the secret lab was 'Operational Companions', she remembered. Could that mean... that these young men were being manufactured to... seduce her crappy heroine friends?

...The hell am I reading? Young men being created in tubes? What's this story rated?

Anyways, there was one tube that she didn't understand. It was also empty, but lacked any real clear information. The first name was scratched out, making it completely illegible. Further more, the name attached to the unknown one was not one the flatty heroine was too familiar with. For the other tubes, one of her companions' names would have been there. Here, however, was someone's name that she didn't know. Ugh, like I really give two shits about whose name it is! Hell, it's too dark to even see; I think it begins with an 'L', or something, but what does it even matter?

Why do I gotta read this crap?

... Screw it... She was so engrossed by these fearful thoughts, that she nearly failed to notice the cell phone ringing. She hastily picked it up.

"H-Hello, Narrator, sir!... I've made some... terrifying discoveries..."

"Ah, so I presume you understand the full situation now. Good... listen, Nisa, it is time. Everything is in play, and we now have enough energy to proceed. Go on and press that button!"

"I... I understand!" That flatty freak began a dash towards the 'START' button, when Narrator spoke out again.

"Purveyor of Justice, halt at once!" Huh? Is this Narrator guy some bi-polar freak, or somethin'? "This is all a trick! Please... don't listen to this fiend!"

"Wha-? But... you just told me..."

"Nisa, ignore this selfish fool's outburst. It is your duty... nay, your destiny, to press that button. Now, go!"

"Uh... ok...?" Nisa made it to the button, and prepared to press it.

"No, Nisa! Don't do it! This devil is using me to manipulate you! If you press that button... who knows what will happen! Justice will not prevail!" Damn, this Narrator guy is freakin' insane... Hm, but something about him is oddly familiar...

"Press it, Nisa, or your friends are all going to perish!"

Nisa gulped. What should she do?

* * *

...

Oh... there's more...

At long last, Cave and 5pb had arrived at the game expo... Wait a minute! Those heroine brats are at the game expo, too? Oh, thank God I didn't run into them; I'd have to beat their pretty faces in...

IF, heavily anticipating their arrival, was quick to notice the blue-haired idol enter the building. Her heart skipped a beat, and she began running.

"Lyree!" She called, though her voice was drowned out by all the patrons at the expo. She was getting closer, closer...

She wouldn't be able to reach her, though... Wait, why the hell not? She's nearly there already...

Back in that lab, that flat-chested dumbass made her decision. She was determined to protect her friends, no matter the cost.

"Well, here goes nothing!" Nisa lifted her fist up above her head, and dramatically smashed it down upon the button. In an instant, both she and the lab was consumed by a white light... Uh, what the hell is goin' on?

IF called out one more time, but still no sound reached Lyrica's ears. She was so close... Just one more moment, and she would reach the love of her life. However, she failed to notice how everything around her became engulfed in the same white light. The last thing she saw was 5pb's face, before she too was utterly swallowed in the brightness...

Um... that's it for this sheet... What the hell? What type of shitty ending to a chapter is that? Wait a minute...

... Oh Shit! That white light! It's... it's comin' here! No! What's happening!? Get awa-...

...

...  
...

...


	4. Act IV: Stage

_[A mysterious gust of wind blows in your ear. You faintly hear the following message: "You're in for a weird one, folks... Oh, and a very potent doorstopper... Please don't fret if what follows seems too different or confusing; Everything that is about to happen is crucial and must occur. It's all part of the plan... And, no matter what happens, just know that darker things have happened in the actual series. Good day..."]_

_[In an instant, the quiet whisper fades from your ear, and you are left to ponder what the wind meant. Leaving no other alternative, your eyes scroll down past the following horizontal line break...]_

* * *

**Rebel 1: A Day in the Life**

IF slowly opens her eyes and briefly looks around the room. It was her room, that's for certain... Where the hell else would you expect her to be? She was about to sit up, but a violent headache surfaced throughout her temples at that very moment.

"Aw, crap! What the hell?" she swore blatantly to no one in particular... Today was the day she had long been despising. It worried her so much, it gave her migraines.

"Guess I'd better get going. Don't wanna be late." The brunette sighed to herself, and slowly fell out of bed. She journeyed over to the bathroom, and disrobed from her sleepwear... Ah, hell no! I am not watching this chick shower!

...Wait, do I know her from somewhere? ...Nah, probably just my imagination...

So, that IF broad finally finished her shower, and dragged a comb across her head. She slipped on her uniform, and, looking in the mirror, she sighed. "Today's gonna suck..."

The brunette found her way downstairs and drank a cup of refreshing tea. Absorbing the warm heat, she relaxed a bit, calming her overacting nerves. "Just take it easy... You're stronger than this..."

After a moment of basking in the soothing touches of tea (seriously, what the hell am I reading?), IF looked up at the clock on the wall, and noticed she was late. Grabbing her bag, she groaned, and then stepped out the door.

IF left her house, and began her trek to school...

**Rebel 2: The Inner Light**

Uh... my head freakin' hurts... Why am I following this brunette chick around like some creepy stalker? Everything's laid out on this sheet of paper... Why?

...Hey, is anybody out there? I... I really can't remember a thing. Like, why the hell am I here?

And... who the hell am I?

... Ah, screw all this heavy crap! I'm gonna go ahead and finish readin' this spiel...

The battle-hardened veteran made it to the shuttle bus in seconds flat. She journeyed to a seat near the back, and sat down. Time to set her sights on the day ahead.

"Ok... just gotta swallow my doubts and ask her; Easy!" She mumbled to herself, not sounding at all confident...

...Hm, what's this sensation?... Oh, an exposition spot? Well, okay...

Why was the young Iffy feeling such turmoil, you ask? Well, today was the annual school dance, of course! Lastation High was well-renowned for its elaborate prom festivities, and today was the grandest of them all!

... Wait, so this school is known mostly for the parties it throws? What about, I don't know, ACADEMICS?

...Sorry, still a little confused. Hell, I don't even think I ever went to school. Of course, I can't even remember my own name...

Anyways... On this day, all the school's residents were invited to attend the prestigious dance activities during the evening. So, the all-important question, as with most scholars during prom time, was "Who should I ask out?"

However, the twists weren't done just yet! You see, aspiring couples had a little more incentive to attend this event than simply dance. For on this fateful night, the revered 'Hoshi' competition would be held to find the best couple of all Lastation High! Two companions would be chosen among the countless attendees, and would be crowned the greatest lovers in all the land. Their legend would be passed on from generation to generation!... or somethin' like that...

IF dreamed of becoming a legend one day, and this would be an excellent opportunity. However, she first had to ask a certain special someone out if she ever hoped to achieve her goals...

The ride from Planeptune to Lastation wasn't tremendously long via shuttle bus, but it still took a good half hour; All the more time for the brunette to prepare herself... or worry incessantly over every small thing.

Soon enough, the grand high-school came into view. "Well... here goes nothin'..." Iffy sighed as she prepared to enter the halls of her judgement...

**Rebel 3: It's Only Love**

The battle-hardened veteran had ten minutes before the home room bell would toll. Just enough time...

"Iffy-poo!" A voice called from behind. The warrior turned around, and smiled.

"Compa! Hey... I was just lookin' for you..."

The nurse-in-training ran over and hugged her best friend. "Morning, Iffy! Boy, do I have something to tell you!" The medic gleamed.

"Mornin'... What is it, Compa?" What could this bimbo possibly have to say?

The nurse looked around cautiously. "Do you promise not to tell anybody, Iffy-poo? It's a super-humongous secret!"

"O-Ok, I promise to stay quiet! Now spill it!" The brunette was getting flustered again. If you couldn't guess, Compa was the woman Miss IF was planning to invite to the dance. The longer it took for her to ask her out, the more her confidence wavered.

"In that case..." The medic took in a deep breath, perhaps trying to convey some sort of suspense, "...Someone asked me out to the dance tonight!"

The warrior's eyes widened, and she nearly fell back in shock. "W-W-W-Wha!? W-Who!?"

"You know that cute exchange student who arrived a couple of weeks ago? He gave me a bouquet of flowers and invited me to the prom! Isn't that so exciting!?"

IF, feeling quite dejected, thought about the exchange student. Indeed, a young man with brown hair named York had just transferred to Lastation High. He was a handsome fellow, but something about him nagged the warrior quite intently. Now that he was going on a date with her best friend, that negative feeling had only gotten worse.

"Y-Yeah... that's... great..." Iffy exclaimed, trying to hide her broken heart away from the beautiful nurse's eyes.

The pre-bell tolled away, signaling that home room was about ready to begin. "Ah, we better get going! Let's get to class, Iffy!" Compa shouted, as she took the girl's hand and ran to class...

**Rebel 4: Wild Honey Pie**

The school day, as most are for nearly any student, was boring as all hell. Really, the only thing anybody had on their minds were the events taking place after this long, toiling day of work.

It comes to pass, therefore, that not everybody in the classrooms were paying any attention at all.

"Psst... Noirey! Noirey!" Neptune whispered directly into Noire's ears. Ugh... I think I know these freaks too! But from where...?

The tsundere's face reddened in irritation. "Shut up, Neptune! If the teacher catches us talking, we're in for a whole world of hurt..." She whispered back. The instructor was currently writing some parabolic functions on the board... Huh, is that what most schools teach at this grade? Wait, what grade are these chicks even in right now? ...What's a parabola?

"Oh, c'mon... even the teach' is phonin' it in today! Now, totally agree to go out with me tonight~"

"I... W-Why would I go out with you!?" Noire accidentally exclaimed louder than intended. The class turned to face her for a sec, but eventually they all lost interest and went back to paying no attention to the day's lesson.

"Because you wuv me, Noiwey! You wanna get in mah hoodie, dontcha~" The ditz sang. The tsundere blushed, and looked away.

"S-S-Shut up! Only an idiot would date you!"

"But you're not an idiot, are you?"

"Grr... That's the point!" Another outburst, another cartoonish turning of all the heads in the class, and then the lackluster return to the lackluster lesson.

Noire, or Lady Black Heart (What a bitch. She seriously expects people to call her that?), was a star pupil from a prestigious family on Lastation. If you had to ask, her parents were filthy rich, and raised their children as if they were goddesses. As such, most people find her insufferably snobbish. However, this purple-haired idiot is too dense to pick up on shitty attitudes.

... Huh... I dunno... something about all this seems... strange, I guess. What the hell could possibly be off, though?

Neptune, on the other hand, was not from a well-off family. She and her younger sister were of humble origins, which doesn't explain why the ditz was so damn lazy and air-headed. After meeting and falling for Noire, she adopted the nickname Lady Purple Heart, though I don't think anybody calls her that.

The two broads were inseparable, despite what the tsundere would have you believe.

"Whatevs, you're still gonna take me to the dance tonight. It's fate, Noirey; Written high up in the stars! Forces beyond our comprehension have drawn us together since the very dawn of time!" Hm, I'll admit, that sounded a little intelligent. Wonder what fortune cookie she stole that from?

"Yeah, we'll see about that..." Noire said as she crossed her arms. Don't try to hide it, lady; Even I can see that you're gonna be with her by the end of the night, and I'm an amnesiac who's spying on everyone!

* * *

**Rebel 5: Run for Your Life**

Class was uneventful, if you even had a slight doubt it would've been any different. At long last, the fabled lunch hour had arrived! ...Man, I could go for some grub right now, myself...

Young Nepgear, 'Lady Purple Heart's' little sister, left her classroom with her boxed lunch in tow; She always enjoyed eating in the school's courtyard. However, today wouldn't be as calm as she hoped...

"I saw the way you looked at her! You're cruisin' for a bruisin', buddy!" ...Hey, does everyone talk like this? You know, where they leave off the last letter of the word? That's pretty annoyin'...

Nepgear froze as she came upon the scene before her. A young man was on his hands and knees, cowering before a sassy young lass... Did I just say lass?... The woman's hands were clenched in fists, and she had on a pseudo-angry expression.

"P-Please! I'm innocent! I-I didn't do anything, I swear!" The man looked as though he were about to cry. The purple sister's eyes widened as she fully took in the situation.

Standing tall before the downed brown-haired boy was the legendary bully Chika Hakozaki herself!

"I'm not buyin' your crap, boy! You totally winked at my fabulous Lady!" Chika, as the stories foretold, was not the most rational or understanding when it came to... well, anything.

The 'Lady' she spoke of was none other than Vert. No one but Chika truly knows where Lady Vert came from. However, the general consensus is that she lives in a boarding house with her uncle and his husband. Apparently, her parents had died when she was at an early age, no doubt due to some author-undefined illness... Wait, that seems like a pretty in-depth answer for a topic no one is quite sure about. Just assume that's the truth...

Chika was a resident in that boarding house, as well, and the two became 'close' companions... and I can't stress 'CLOSE' enough. The bully spent her entire time at school guarding Vert, whom she had dubbed Lady Green Heart (What's with these nicknames? They all seem pretty out-there, yet strikingly similar). Hell, she's even gone so far as create an after-school Lady Vert fan club, though no other student is currently allowed to join. Talk about a stuck-up bitch.

"Please, Chika; I do believe that this young man is innocent." Vert said plainly, relaxation prevalent in her words. Seems this scene was so common to her that she had grown apathetic.

"Don't be so forgiving, Vert! This boy was planning to think dirty thoughts, and possibly even... touch your hair!" The insane chick gasped at her own words, and solidified her battle pose.

Nepgear watched this all from the sidelines, knowing that something had to be done. Her morals would never allow her to watch someone get taken advantage of, but Chika frightened her to no end.

However, seeing the terrified kid on the ground propelled her to act.

"Hey, you leave him alone, you bully!" The purple-haired sister called out. The two girls turned their heads to glimpse the idiot that chose to intervene.

Chika smiled. "Ohoho! What do we have here?" She slowly trudged over to Nepgear. "You're not this creep's accomplice, are you?"

Nepgear could only shake her head, too frightened to speak.

"Heh heh... Well, guess you're achin' for a beat-down too! Fine; I can take both of you!" In a flash, Chika uppercut Neptune's sister in the gut, dropping her to the floor.

"Chika, that's enough!" Vert yelled, actually raising her voice a little. Wow, I didn't think she could manage! "If you don't stop now, there's no way I'm taking you to prom! Now let's go; Our lunch is getting cold."

The bully grimaced, and retreated from the two victims. "Fine, I'll back off for now... but you two better not go anywhere near Vert again, you hear!?" With that, the two were off.

The young man slowly stood up, and walked over to the prostrate Nepgear. "Hey... are you alright?"

Nepgear stirred, but slowly sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine... Ow, that hurt, though..." The man reached out his hand, and helped her off the ground. "Thanks..."

"I'm Alex... Thank you for coming to my aid. Not many people would actually put themselves in danger for others..." Alex smiled brightly, with a hint of shyness.

"Goodness... I couldn't just let someone get bullied like that... I-I'm Nepgear, by the way." The sister grew flustered as she looked into Alex's eyes. He continued smiling.

"Well, Miss Nepgear, I am in your debt. I will do anything you ask of me."

"Y-You don't have to go that far... Really! It was nothing!"

"Nonsense; You saved me from a savage beat-down! I must make it up to you somehow... Ah, I know! Perhaps I can accompany you to the dance tonight?... If you're not already going with somebody else..."

Nepgear looked at the young man's embarrassed face, and couldn't help but suppress a giggle; Strange as it sounds, he looked almost like a pleading kitten. She nodded at once. "Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun. I'll go with you tonight!"

Alex nodded. "Then it's a date, my fair Nepgear..."

* * *

**Rebel 6: I'll Follow the Sun**

Right as Nepgear and Alex left the area to go eat their lunches, three figures sprang forth. "Halt now, evildoer; Your reign of tyranny ends now!... Hey, where'd she go?" Nisa, otherwise know as 'some flat chick', looked about in confusion. Seems she wanted to confront Chika... Well, what took her so long to get here? Hell, how'd she even know someone was getting bullied if she was that far away?

"Drat, seems she got away! Oh well, she can't hide for long! Sidekick, what do you have to say?" The young man named Almaz shouted, clearly a large ham.

The third figure cautiously walked up to the two, and sighed. "How many times must Gust tell you: Gust is not your sidekick!" Seems this rag-tag team of misfits has taken it upon themselves to restore justice to Lastation High... though only two of them are actually interested.

... Do I have to describe these assholes, too? Uh, all right...

Nisa grew up on superhero television shows and comics. As a result, she set her mind on protecting the universe with her passion for righteousness, or some shit. In junior high, she met the foreign exchange student Gust, and she quickly took her under her wing.

Gust claimed to be from a family of alchemists, but that sounds a little far-fetched, dontcha think? She claims to be against being Nisa's sidekick, but if that's the case, why does she still hang around with her?

Almaz went to junior high with the two heroines, but he did not fully become part of the group until the last few weeks... At least, that's what everyone thinks. Frankly, even Nisa herself can't remember when the brown-haired young man officially joined their ranks. It was almost as if... he didn't really belong.

"Well, we shan't rest until all of Lastation High is out of Chika's vile clutches! This, I swear!" Man, her eyes are filled with flames! The hell? She should probably get that checked out...

"Indeed, my fair heroine! But, alas, our lunch time shall soon be drawing to a close. Perhaps we should buckle down and eat, to restore our strength!" Almaz boldly declared. Dear God, why the hell are these two speaking like that? This isn't Shakespeare, y'know...

"You're right! Upholders of justice can not act on an empty stomach!" With that, the two immediately dropped to the ground, and took out obnoxiously large sandwiches. Gust shook her head and sighed.

"What did Gust do to deserve this?"

* * *

**Rebel 7: Love You To**

Lunch, like all good things, came to an end, and the rest of the day slowly lagged on...

In the student council's office...

"So, am I right in believing that all preparations for tonight have been successfully accomplished?" Kei, the class president, asked aloud. A girl with long, wavy hair looked up from a stack of papers, and nodded.

"Indeed, President Kei. The gymnasium is fully set up for the festivities." The class treasurer, Financier, announced... Hm, was she given that position merely for the sake of irony?

"Good... good..." Wait... Kei's a chick? You've gotta be shitin' me!? That person right there has to be a guy! Ugh...

"Ah, tonight is shaping up to be among the better dances in all of Lastation High's history!" The secretary, Mina, mused. Two small figures behind her nodded.

"Damn right, it is! Are we able to go this year, Mina?" A little girl asked. Man, so young, and I can already tell what a snob she's gonna become.

The meeker-looking child next to her stuck her head up. "Please, Mina... Can we go?"

Kei sighed. "Pardon me asking, Secretary Mina, but why are there children in this sacred meeting room?"

"Oh, I couldn't find a sitter for them today, so I decided to let them tag along. They are very well-behaved, aren't you girls?"

"Yeah we are!... But don't ignore my question, poop-face!" ... Uh, Mina's a student in this school, right? So, how was she able to smuggle in two elementary-aged kids?

Once again, the president sighed. Man, is that all she does? "I guess they mean no harm, but I'd prefer that you check with me first next time."

Mina nodded, and went silent. She always tried her best not to upset Kei, and remaining quiet was clearly the way to go.

On the sidelines, Financier turned towards the last person present in the room. "Headmistress, do you declare the preparations complete?"

The headmistress, a thin woman with slightly unkempt short hair, nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose everything is in order. Lastation High may commence the celebrations." With that, she rose from her seat, carrying a sense of overbearing power with her.

"Thank you, Headmistress Chian." Kei nodded respectfully. Seems this broad's power even overwhelmed the class president.

The woman commenced her journey over to the exit, when she spoke again. "Though, I sincerely wonder if holding another Hoshi competition would be the wisest course of action; We don't want a repeat performance of last year's debacle."

The Cabinet members all shuddered at Chian's words. Last year's Hoshi competition had been widely popular, with the results being shared across Gamindustri. However, tragedy had struck the winning couple: Apparently, one was killed in a tragic accident, and the other offed themselves out of desperation. Heavy...

Hm, I wonder who they were... Ah, what do I care?

"We must not let that calamity interfere with our traditions. Yes, it was incredibly unfortunate, but we must move on, for the morale of the people if nothing else." Kei pronounced with an air of sadness.

The headmistress said nothing else in response, and was soon out the door. Financier sighed in relief, and Mina looked down uncomfortably. The two lolis simply looked around in confusion at all the somber faces.

* * *

**Rebel 8: I Saw Her Standing There**

The dismissal bell tolled earlier than usual today, so as to allow the students and faculty to prepare for the busy night.

IF, drama queen that she is, was still sulking over not having a date with Compa. "You're an idiot, IF... Pull yourself together. It was a bad idea anyways... She's your best friend..." Huh, do people really talk to themselves like this?

The brunette wandered over to a diner that she frequented on school days, debating whether she should show up to the damn prom or not. Entering the building, she greeted the owner and took a seat in a booth in the corner of the room.

The battle-hardened veteran sighed, and put her head on the table. Usually, she would have hung out with her medic friend, but Compa had to go home and get spiffied up for the dance. So, IF was alone. "Well, maybe I can get some shut-eye..."

Before she could drift off, however, somebody patted her on the shoulder. "Um, excuse me? I don't mean to be a burden, but may I sit with you for a moment? I'm... trying to hide from someone." Looking up, IF's eyes drifted to a stunningly beautiful girl, no older than the brunette herself.

"U-Uh, yeah... sure, ok, no problem..." Iffy replied, attempting to sound suave, or something.

"Ah, thank you." the girl bowed respectfully, and took a seat across from her. IF was infatuated with the girl in an instant. Her blue hair, her amazing eyes, her invigorating smile...

Perhaps IF had a chance tonight after all.

She ran a hand through her hair, and leaned in her seat, attempting to look like an utter badass. "So, uh, what's your name? I haven't seen you around before."

The blue-haired girl smiled graciously; The brunette felt herself melting inside. "I'm Lyrica. I just moved here about a week ago... Decided to lay low for a while..."

"I'm IF, but you can call me Iffy, if you'd like... It's nice to meet you, Lyrica..."

Lyrica smiled back. "Likewise, IF..."

The battle-hardened veteran was scrambling to find the right words to say. So, is her game off today, or has she never even been a player? At long last, though, a question found its way into her head. "W-What do you mean by 'laying low'? Ha... are you famous or something?" She chuckled, but realized how crappy that whole sentence was.

However, the blue-haired woman flashed a small grin anyways. "Wait... you really don't know who I am, do you? Wow, choosing this booth was a better idea than I thought..." The girl leaned closer to IF. "I'm a pop idol from Leanbox; I go by the name 5pb. I have a lot of fans, but, lately..." She closed her eyes and sighed, "...I've just been getting tired of all the fame. I decided to give it all a rest for a little while, and live like a normal high-schooler."

IF's head was screaming. 'Holy shit! She's really 5pb!? How the hell did I not notice that!?' she thought. However, she didn't want to go all fangirl on the idol here, so she responded with "Really? That's pretty cool..." Once again, she silently cursed herself. What kinda approach to this was she taking?

A thought occurred to her right then... Well, more of an imagine spot, probably. "Wait, so you came to Lastation to hopefully get away from your fans, right? So, is that who you're hidin' from right now: One of your crazed fans?"

The pop idol waved her hand dismissively. "No, that's not exactly it..." Lyrica smiled a little, and she moved her eyes downwards.

"O-Oh... okay, then..." Well, then who the hell was she hiding from? Either way, IF flubbed out another brilliant line of dialogue. "So, um, Lyrica... Do you know... about Lastation High's... prom tonight? It's pretty famous..."

5pb's eyes shone upon hearing those words. "Of course I do! In fact, that's one of the reasons I chose to come here. It seems like a fun way to end my first week away from Leanbox."

I swear I can hear IF's heart beating. Geez, lady, calm down! You're gonna have a heart attack. "A-Ah, I see... So, are you going with anybody?... C-Cause, if not, then I..."

The brunette was interrupted when a hand firmly clasped the idol's slim shoulder. "Ha, finally found you, Lyree. Guess I won, huh?"

"Darn... yeah, you win." 5pb smiled at the young man attached to that hand, and turned to look at IF. "Ah, this is Hide, IF. He's my date tonight."

The man waved to the confused brunette, and spoke to the idol again. "Time to pay up! You're taking me to the arcade, correct?"

Lyrica stood up and flashed a grin. "Guess I am... but don't expect me to pay for everything." She playfully teased Hide's nose, and began walking off with him. "It was nice talking to you, IF. I hope we meet again soon!" With that, both were gone.

The battle-hardened veteran meekly waved at the angel. Seeing Lyrica taken away right in front of her, IF was so frustrated she ground her teeth.

"Ok, Hide, it's on!"

**Rebel 9: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away**

Well, I guess that stupid prom thing is almost ready to start... Oh, but first, there's one more fluff piece...

"Neptune, are you almost done? You've been in there for hours!" Noire stood with her arms crossed outside of the bathroom at her house. She was quite irritated, though I suspect that speaks for itself.

"Just un secundo, Noirey..." A voice called from the other side of the door. Rustling cloth could be heard, and the door flew open. "Ta da!"  
Noire hopped back in astonishment. The ditz was wearing a brilliant black dress, with purple sparkles spread about. She gave a playful twirl, and smiled her usual smile. It took everything the tsundere had to not lose complete control. "Ne-Neptune... You look nice... b-but that doesn't mean I like you, or anything!" Smooth, Noire.

Neptune giggled, and bent over rather suggestively. "Noiwey, does this dress make my butt look big?" Wham, bam, thank you ma'am, she sure has one fine... Ah! What am I saying!?

"Wha...?! S-Stop that! Geez, stop acting like a complete perv."

"Aw, c'mon. You know you like it~"

"Grr... Just... Let's go already!" The tsundere walked towards the front door. The ditz grinned to herself and tailed behind.

Through one way or another, the cast assembled in the school gymnasium, and the Hoshi competition commenced!

* * *

**Rebel 10: Within You, Without You**

Kei looked out at the crowd and smiled softly to herself; There were much more people than last year, that's for sure. However, just like last year, she had no date... She's never had a date. Hmph, well, maybe if she didn't act like a pretentious snob all the time, and maybe grew out her hair a little bit...

Looking out across the crowd, she spotted groups of friends and people who just had to be applicants for the Hoshi competition. They appeared to be having a good time. As class president, that was all she could hope for... right?

Soon enough, though, her eyes fell upon one girl sitting alone in the corner of the dance floor.

"Hm... that's the girl who lives in the same apartment as Mina and Financier, right? Why's she here? I didn't think she'd be the type to attend an event like this..." Perhaps feeling a connection with this loner, Kei journeyed over to her.

The short-haired girl sat silently, a look of annoyance on her face. The class president approached her and calmly spoke up. "Hey there... I noticed you were alone. Want some company?"

The girl ominously turned her head. "I don't need company. Leave me alone." She said matter-of-factly. Hm... I was expecting her to lash-out.

Kei didn't even flinch at that rude statement. "I'm Kei, your class president... I take it you're Blanc?"

"Yeah, that's me... So, what the hell do you want? And don't you dare spout any crap about the importance of social interaction."

The president lightly chuckled. "Oh, I have no right to preach about that: I don't have any friends at all. Sure, I have associates, but they'd never spend time with me outside of school." Blanc didn't show any reaction to Kei's words. "So, I've been wondering: If you dislike company, then why did you come here tonight? I'm only here to fulfill my obligations."

The girl looked away, and sighed. "I don't know. I felt like it was something I had to do... Got a problem with that?"

"Heh... not at all... So, do you want to go and do something? Sitting here can't be that fun."

"...What do you have in mind? You better not say anything goddamn creepy."

Kei, who usually valued work and personal space over human interaction, felt something strange tugging at the back of her mind. The odd sensation caused her to say things that she would have never even imagined uttering. "Well, why don't we run in the Hoshi competition? You know, the two of us, together. It'd be a great way to show just how much we don't care about other people's opinions. Us two strangers running in the highly regarded competition... Wouldn't you like desecrating a sacred event?"

Blanc looked at the girl with slight intrigue. "Hmm... Well, I do like desecration... What do we have to do in this competition? I'm feelin' frikkin lazy, so it better not involve... moving." Hell, I'm kinda curious myself.

Kei smiled, and brought her head in close to Blanc's. She whispered: "To tell you the truth, all we'd have to do is write our names on a piece of paper, and place it in that collection basket over there. When judging time comes, each couple is read aloud, and the audience is supposed to toss flower petals. Whichever couple gets the most petals claims the Hoshi title. This whole thing's nothing more than a dignified popularity contest."

"Damn, is that so? Then, what do you suppose our chances of winning are?"

"I can wholeheartedly say that we have absolutely no chance in the slightest."

"...Sounds good to me. Sure, why the hell not? Let's show these shitheads how amazingly good we are at losing this thing!" With that, Blanc and Kei signed up for the Hoshi competition.

Well, that sure as hell was weird. I'm no expert, but those two sure are acting... wrong, I guess. Huh... so this amazing contest is really just a fame game? Guess I shouldn't really be surprised.

* * *

**Rebel 11: Golden Slumbers**

"Nepgear...! You look amazing!"

Alex was flabbergasted as he stared at the brilliantly dressed Nepgear... What, do you really want me to describe her dress too? Well, I refuse... Just use your imagination, or something.

B-But man... she really does look kinda beau- W-Woah, what the hell!? ...What's wrong with me? ...D-Don't get the wrong idea! I'm just... sick, is all... I must be; Why would I... find a girl like her cute?

The purple-haired brat smiled with embarrassment. "Thank you, but it's really nothing special. Now, how about we find something to drink. I could use some fruit punch right now."

"Aw, yes, that sounds excellent! Let's embark!" Alex hammily replied. He led Nepgear through the crowd. The purple sister willingly followed him, but came to a halt all of a sudden; Across the room, she spotted the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had no recollection of ever meeting her before, but something about her seemed strikingly familiar...

Alex looked at Nepgear suspiciously, and eyed the girl she was entranced by... Woah! I swear his whole demeanor just changed. His eyes... they're filled with rage, man!

However, he quickly brushed away whatever the hell just happened to him and clasped the girl's hand. "Come Nepgear; Your punch awaits!"

"Y-Yeah..." Still enthralled by the magnificent sight, the sister walked on in a daze.

The beautiful girl who tickled Nepgear's fancy was right now busy chatting it up with some young man with, you guessed it, brown hair. What, are they popular in this school, or something?

"Why should I dance with you? I-I can get anyone I wanted in this school!" The girl, Uni, snapped in embarrassment. The man before her smirked, and held up his hands in a surrendering manner.

"If you truly do not wish to dance with me, then fine. I, too, can win over whomever else I want." With that, the man snazzily turned around, and began sauntering off.

"W-Wait! Brave!" The young tsundere called out, eyes glued to the ground. The man smiled to himself, and faced the girl once more.

"Yes? What is it you desire?"

... hrngh! Ow... The hell? My head's hurtin' like mad... Who is that guy?

...Who am I?

"Do-Don't go! I... I'll dance with you." Uh... Ok, I'm calming down... Uni's face was now completely red, and she tried in vain to hide that fact. Brave smoothly approached her, and held out his hand.

"Then come, my fair Uni; The dance-floor awaits..."

* * *

**Rebel 12: Carry That Weight**

"Aha! It seems no injustice has fallen upon this majestic dance floor as of yet! Perhaps our mere presence has warded off any potential evildoers!" Nisa exclaimed pridefully. Almaz nodded in agreement, and Gust simply sighed.

"Can Gust go now? This place is boring." The girl whined. The two upholders of justice didn't notice her words, and simply sprang deeper into the crowds. Gust decided that enough was enough, and quickly made for the exit to the gym.

"Whew... Gust finally free... Hm?" The alledged alchemist noticed something was... off... about the walls here. She never noticed before, but they seemed... fake. Curious, she walked up to one, and lightly knocked on it.

"Cardboard! What strange building material..." Even more intrigued, the foreign girl decided the next course of action should be to smash the wall down... wait, what!? Gust reached behind her, and pulled out her supposed 'alchemy staff'... so, she's allowed to just carry that thing around? She pulled it back, and whacked it towards the cardboard wall... I-It actually came down!?

"What the!?" In an instant, realization flashed in Gust's eyes; What she saw behind the newly-crumpled wall sparked something in her memory banks. "... Oh God... Gust needs to warn Nisa fast!" What? What did she see?

... Well, anyways...

IF was just about ready to give up. All night, she had tried tremendously to get 5pb's attention without arousing her suspicions, but every attempt had ended in failure. The fates must have been telling her that it wasn't meant to be.

"Dammit! Why am I so hopeless? Should I just give up on this whole love thing?" The brunette sighed in resignation. No one would ever come to love her; That much she had figured out by now. Ah, typical teenage angst...

Still, that didn't ease the pain of seeing 5pb having fun with Hide. They were both smiling so brightly... it was enough to make her cry... and puke.

"Why am I so shook up about 5pb? I only met her a few hours ago... Why does she feel so important to me?" IF wondered as she watched the happy couple. "Oh well... If I actually made them break up, she would only hate me. Guess I'm just better off watching her from afar..."

In an instant, a strange sensation penetrated her head. "Iffy, can you hear me? I'm gonna try to reach you again... Just hold still..." The voice was oddly familiar, but the brunette could not trace it to anyone she knew! Just where the hell was it coming from?

The ground beneath IF shone as bright as the sun. The brunette instinctively shielded her eyes, but appeared to be the only one who did so; The other patrans didn't even glance in the direction of the odd sight. Hm... do you mean to tell me that no one else in this crowded gymnasium can see this? The hell?

From the light emerged... a freakin' gold dragon!? Now this is getting too weird.

"Wha...? Holy shit! G-Get away!" IF shrieked. Luckily for her, the music drowned out her screams... How loud is that music, anyways?

Wait... why'd I say luckily? That dragon's gonna kill her! N-Not that I care about a brat like her, or anything...

The dragon hovered up to the brunette's face, and looked deep into her eyes. "Please remain calm, Iffy. I mean no harm... I'm here to help you."

"Wha... How...?" The girl was confused as all hell, as am I. The girlish voice had to be coming from that freaky gold dragon!

A light emanated from the hovering beast, and the room became engulfed in a vast whiteness. Ngh... What's this sensation? Deja Vu?

As the brightness receded, IF's eyes readjusted, and she gasped rather loudly. Still not louder than the music, though.

In place of the dragon was now a young girl, perhaps a year or two younger than herself. Her hair was an impressive crimson color, with white streaks strewn about. While she may be young-looking, she is certainly... developed... What? Don't look at me like that!

"Wh-Who... What's going on?" IF muttered, utterly stunned. The mysterious girl looked up at her and flashed a mighty, innocent-looking grin.

"Heya, Iffy-poo! Gee, it's nice to see you in person again... Come with me; I'm here to take you home."

* * *

**Rebel 13: The End**

"C'mon, Noiwey! Do the Nepu Nepu shuffle with me!" the ditz exclaimed as she... Yeah, I'm not even gonna try describing that dance move.

Noire hurriedly glanced about and saw the stares from the surrounding crowd. "Wh-Why would I dance with you?! I-It's not like I like you, or anything silly like that..." Shrinking from the judging eyes, the tsundere dashed away.

"Aw, pooey... Guess I have no partner, then." Neptune flamboyantly flung her head down in apparent disappointment.

"Ah, excuse me... I'll happily dance with you..." A voice from the crowd offered. From the humongous throng came another brown-haired young man. He had a bandage on the back of his head. The hell? "The name's Adrian, my fair lady."

Neptune eyed the gentleman up and down, and suddenly got the perfect idea: If she accepted this man's invitation, then Noire would get tremendously jealous. Sure, it was simple, but Noire was a tsundere, after all. "Awesomesauce! Let's boogie!"

Adrian smiled. "Excellent." With that, he took her by the hand.

Meanwhile, Headmistress Chian looked into the collection basket, and saw a grand amount of entrants for the Hoshi competition. She was happy to see the increased participation, but last year's catastrophe still struck a sharp nerve in her heart.

Last year's winners weren't the best students of all, and hell, the pairing seemed kind of random at first, but they had an aura about them. When on stage together, the whole school unanimously fell in love.

To have them taken from this world so suddenly had been like getting run over by an airship for the headmistress. She prayed that nothing as horrible as that could ever occur again...

Damn, just who the hell were the winners? When will this story tell us?

Oh, wait, there's still more for this section...

A slow song was playing over the loud-speakers now, so prom law dictated that it was time for slow, close-up dancing. Uni and Brave were currently moving in perfect rhythm with each other.

"My, my... you dance so majestically, dear Uni... What dexterity you possess; Could you have picked up these moves from lugging that shotgun around all day? Color me... impressed..." ...Wait, what was that about a shotgun? Is... Is she carrying one right now?

"D-Don't say things like that! And... your face is... so close..." Uni's eyes slowly squinted, and the young man's face slowly inched closer to hers. Their lips were just about to touch, when the man stopped.

"B...Brave...?" The man's eyes widened, and he separated from the young tsundere. He had broken out in a huge sweat.

"No, Uni... we can't! This is what she wants!" He exclaimed dramatically. His eyes darted around frantically, and he stared at his hands in sheer terror.

"What's going on? Are you okay!?" Uni cried out in surprise. The man had been so suave and charming up until now...

"This isn't real, Uni; None of this! I'm..." He still stared at his hands, as if the sight of human flesh horrified him. "... I'm not real. This isn't who I am..."

"You... You're not making any sense!"

"Don't you get it? She won! This was her plan all along! She used me and who knows how many others to change your world! I couldn't stop her..." Brave slowly moved his head downwards. "Perhaps... it's not too late. Maybe we can still escape... Uni, you must find Nepgear! Hurry, before it takes control again!"

"Wha...? Nep...gear? What's..." Hearing the man plead so sincerely had tripped up the young girl. But, confused as she was, she believed that she should take what he said to heart. Find Nepgear...? For whatever reason, Uni resolved to accomplish that much.

Just as sudden as they had cleared, Brave's eyes clouded over, and he smiled charmingly again.

"Whew, sorry about that, Uni dear. Now, where were we?..." The young man moved back to the dazed tsundere, and reached out to her face. Obviously scared shitless, she did the first thing that came to mind.

"OW! Shit! The Hell!?" Brave recoiled from having his hand bitten, and the girl fled. Her legs had never moved so fast.

Almost in tears, Uni wondered what she should do. "Find Nepgear... Where did I hear that name before?" Figuring it would at least clear her mind of whatever the hell just happened, she went out in search of the stranger she knew only as Nepgear...

...

"Nisa, listen! Gust has something very important to tell you!" The alchemist whined to the heroine of justice. Right now, she and Almaz were busy sucking down cup after cup of fruit punch.

The flatty heroine finished her drink, and crushed the plastic cup. "Of course, my faithful sidekick. Whatever is it that ails you?"

"There's something real weird in hallway. You have to see!" The girl worriedly exclaimed. Almaz's eyebrows raised just a tad, but he shrugged.

"You might as well go with her, comrade. I will stay here and ensure no injustice occurs."

Nisa looked at him and nodded. Gust began walking off, and she remained close behind.

Almaz looked deep into his cup of punch. "What's the worst that could happen. The alchemist wasn't ever brought up, so she mustn't be a risk to the plan. But... What if she was simply overlooked!?" The young man raised his head in sudden horror, but then shrugged. "Nah... Mother is too smart for that. I'm sure this is nothing..."

... Uh, that wasn't suspicious at all... Y'know, is it just me, or is this segment much longer than the rest?...

...Aw, crap... it's gonna get a whole lot longer...

IF didn't know how to react as she stared at the girl before her.

"Do... Do I know you?"

"Hmmm... Well, technically, YOU don't know me, but you do." Well, that settles things.

"O...Okay... May I ask who you are? Your name, at least..." The brunette cocked her head to the side, feeling quite unsure of herself.

"Tee hee, I thought you'd never ask. I'm Red, and I've been looking after you for a long time now. Back where I'm from, you're my number one wifey!"

"W-Wifey!? But...?" Yeah, don't ask me. I'm just as lost as she is.

Red put a finger to her chin, giving off an inquisitive façade. "I'm from a world long forgotten, Iffy-poo. Back then, I joined you on your quest to save Gamindustri, and I got to pick up a few wifeys along the way! You were my favorite, though... you'll always be my favorite..."

IF blushed, and turned her head. Now that she thought about it, the fact that none of the students noticed the out-of-place girl bothered her. Before she could question any further, though, the dragon chick spoke again.

"They can't see me... only certain people can. I'm an intruder to this realm... But that's not important. This isn't how your world's supposed to be, Iffy. I need to jog your memory... This shouldn't take long..." Red walked extremely close to the brunette, clearly defying all personal boundary laws. "Please don't think less of me for this..."

Red brought her lips to IF's, and the two shared a passionate kiss; A kiss two long-lost lovers would be expected to share. Flashes of strange, scattered scenes filled her mind: Neptune falling from a tower, causing them to meet Nepgear... Gaining party members on their quest to stop ASIC...

Proclaiming her love to 5pb... Strange dreams that broke her apart... Running to the girl she loved, but being swallowed whole by a bright, white light...

IF remembered... IF remembered everything...

...What does that mean? What did she remember!? Somebody fill me in! I wanna remember things too!

The kiss ended, and IF stared at Red in a complete daze. Red blushed profusely. "Man, I always wanted to do that! It's like we're official-official wifeys now!"

The battle-hardened veteran shook her head to ward off her bewilderment. "What the hell's going on... Where is this?"

The dragon girl smiled. "This is your world, IF, but it has been horribly corrupted."

"Is... Is this another dream?"

"Heh... Those weren't dreams, Iffy-poo. Those, too, were horrible corruptions of this realm. They were merely tests, though, perhaps to lower your morale. This is what they were all building up to..."

"And you... you always appeared to save me. This whole time, I thought you were some bad omen..."

"Tee hee... I couldn't let my favorite wifey suffer like that. I had to help."

IF rubbed her temples; This was all too much for her to swallow. Way too many questions plagued her mind: Who was causing all this? Why were they doing it? What possible benefit could they gain from changing the very world they walked on? However, she decided against asking all of those key questions, perhaps figuring the answer was scarier than not knowing at all. Still, one question slipped out. "Why... Why are they focusing on me? I-I'm not special in any way..."

Red looked at the battle-hardened veteran, and smiled warmly. "Don't say that, Iffy-poo; You're plenty special! Anyways, my bet is that someone fears you. They knew that you'd present the most trouble for whatever the plan was." Now a sense of longing took over the girl's face. "You're one of the strongest girls I've ever met, Iffy. Someone clearly wanted to demoralize you. By manipulating everything you saw... Well, I doubt anyone would remain unaffected after all that."

IF blushed at Red's kind words, and nodded solemnly. "...Yeah, it was pretty damn effective..." Seeing the dragon chick's loving eyes, the brunette felt a twinge of guilt wash over her heart. "Uh, hey, one more thing... I, uh, still don't recognize you. I'm sorry..."

"Aw, don't worry about that, my wifey! There's no way you could. I'm from an alternate Gamindustri!"

"Al-Alternate Gamindustri?" Yeah, whoever you are watching this, I bet you didn't expect something so convoluted in whatever the hell this story is. Geez, who writes this crap?

"Yep! Back where I'm from, the goddesses saved the world, and then relinquished their titles as CPUs. I'm not positive, but I'm thinkin' that caused our universe to go Kablamo, or what not. Guess there's not an alternate me where you're from..." Hmm, Red looks sorta sad if you ask me.

IF smiled and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Well... I'm glad that I have someone like you as my 'wife', even if only in some debunked alternate reality. Thank you... for everything."

The dragon chick's face brightened up entirely, and she hugged her wife. "Iffy thanked me for something! This is the best day ever~"

IF bashfully patted the girl's back, amazed at the innocent energy exhuming from her. She was the type of girl who could cheer you up just by sharing the same room. It was blasphemous that she had to be included in such devious plots like these. "So... what do we do now? How do we set everything back to normal?"

"Well... here's the complicated part. Remember Gino? Well, there's a bunch of guys here that look just like him. We can't let them kiss any one of your party members. We must stall until the end of this competition, and then we must make sure that nobody undesirable wins. If any wrong couple wins, then... well, we lose the game. I don't really want to think of what that implies."

"Oh... ok. So, who has to win?" The brunette was clearing just going along with the ride at this point.

"Hehe... I got that all handled; I gotta remember to thank the dragons later. You just focus on reuniting your friends."

"Wha? Dragons?... Fine, I understand, I think..."

Red nodded intensely, and held her hand up once again. "Oh... I have something to show you... another 'ace in the hole', if you will..." The girl reached towards the sky, and... er, a framed picture appeared from nowhere... I give up...

"Take a look at this. Ooh, but don't say anything." She handed the picture to IF, and the brunette stared scrutinizingly.

"...Um, what's so important about this picture?"

"These are last year's Hoshi winners, silly." The girl beamed innocently. The battle-hardened veteran sighed, and lifted it up to further analyze.

Hm... the script here says she recognized one of the people in the picture, and that the other seemed to be a familiar-looking stranger. However, I can't see it from here. Hey, bimbo, turn it this way, will ya?

"I... can see that. If this is all just a ruse, and this contest doesn't really exist, why do I need to care about last year's winners?" The warrior cocked her head to the side and frowned in confusion. She handed the picture back to the dragon chick.

"Oh, pardon me not explaining further." I don't think anyone wants to hear another lengthy exposition piece. Do you? "It's not exactly important that YOU see it. It's for the other person to see."

"O...Other person? You lost me again."

"The person watching all of this, Iffy-poo! Surely you must've noticed their presence by now!"

IF looked around, clearly paranoid. What's this bitch rattling on about? Here she comes, just appearing out of nowhere to deliver enough exposition to fill up an entire chapter, and then proceeds to talk all cryptic and... Hey, wait! Crazy chick just moved the picture in clear view! I... I can see it now! So, who were these unlucky bastards?

"Yeah, um, I really don't know what you're talkin' about. Should I... go find the others now...?"

"Ahum, go ahead. I think our guest got a pretty good look at the picture. Good luck, my wifey! I'll join you when the time is right!"

"Gotcha! I won't let you down... or everyone else..."

This picture... these people...

These were the winners last year? These two look as if they were digitally placed in the same picture together; No chemistry at all! How the hell could these two have won the Hoshi competition?

Still, they do look pretty happy. So, I wonder which one kicked the bucket first? There was one girl with...beautiful purple hair, somewhat similar to that Nepgear chick. Holding her was a tomboyish-looking girl, not the most appealing to the eye, with green hair... and red eyes...

W-What the? Wh-Who are these two? W-W-Wha...?

I... feel sick... Why are they so familiar?

Nepgeo and Linda... Nepgeo and Linda...

Linda... That's... me.

_"Killin' it. What does it look like, ya' idiot? This thing's a pain in ASIC's ass, y'know?"_

_"Y-Yo. CFW Magic, ma'am, please stop. Genocide isn't cool, y'know?"_

What's... going... on!?

_"Ugh, this isn't our... this isn't the CFW Magic I agreed to follow!"_

_"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-no need to thank me, ma'am! I'm an ASIC member till the end, y'know. Heh heh... just doing my job..."_

This isn't right!... I-I remember now!

_"You're, like, so rugged on the outside, but...I can tell there's a passionate beast sleeping inside of you, just ready to burst out..."_

Nepgeo...! No...

_"Ya know, Linda... I think I can handle falling in love with you."_

We're... dead? She's dead? No... No!

W-What's going on!? Why am I here? Why are we dead? Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

_"You can be my partner..."_

...!

...Ok, Linda, calm down... You've been through worse... Hey, what those two were talking about makes more sense now, huh? Let's work through this...

Ok... so Magic appeared, right? And... she made me leave Nepgeo behind. What happened next?

... Ugh, crap, I don't know. We walked back into that expo, and... suddenly, we were surrounded by nothing... The hell's that mean? Man, I sound like a psycho...

Wait... she led me to this... studio? I don't really know what the hell this place is. Um... yeah, and she gave me this script to read, although... it really is rather strange. It's like the words form right before I read them... almost as if I'm delivering a delayed narration; Sorta like live broadcasts on TV, where the subtitles are always a minute behind, y'know?... Why do I even need to read this?

Either way, it's almost as if I can actually see the scenes in the script... No, scratch that. I CAN actually see these things. Ah, it's a weird-ass sensation...

So, I started reading... and then that white light! Shit, that was obvious, wasn't it? Whatever that light was, it wiped our minds, and placed all of those brats in some phony school. Why, though? And why was I 'killed off?'

... Where's Nepgeo? Oh God... What if she's in danger!? She coulda been kidnapped, or somethin'... Damn... I need to get out of here! But... how?

...! Shit, is someone there? Something... humongous just moved... Wait... you!? Is that you, Ju-

**Shh... I'm not the same being you remember, Linda... I will now take back my proper place as the reciter of this story.**

You're al...?

**Don't**** say anything more; I'm not ready yet. I've... The remaining part of me wishes to change my ways; To atone for my sins. I will help you out; I will help everyone out. I can't bear to sit back and watch anymore.**

I-If you say so... So, how do I get out?

**The same way you came in. Simply step out that door, and I will handle the rest.**

O-Ok... thanks, I... guess...

**No need to thank me. It's partially my fault for getting everybody in this mess anyways. Just go out there and help those girls.**

**...Ah, and there she goes. Now, let me sit back down right here...**

...

...

Ah, much better. I am sincerely sorry, faithful readers. I had a moment of weakness back there, and it brought out... quite an unseemly side of me that I wasn't even positive I had. But, I am back now, and am ready to see this through to the end. Can you possibly ever forgive me?

...If you truly still care, then let's waste no more time.

Let's rock.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Battle for Everyone's Souls**

Hm... let me catch up on the script so far... Ahuh... ahmm...

... Man, that's some clunky exposition... And the whole script so far seems as if it was written by a gravely-amateurish child... Oh well, I got the gist of it...

"Mhm... Um, loyal sidekick... What exactly am I looking at?"

Nisa scratched her head as she looked at a booth that was behind one of the school's walls. Gust had frantically pulled her over here out of nowhere.

"Look! This is Gust's booth!" The alchemist moaned. The heroine's ignorance was exacerbating her mood to no end... What type of word did I just use?

"You have a booth? Why's it in the hallway?"

"Don't you notice the cardboard? This school is a fake! Gust isn't schoolgirl! This is phone charger booth at the game expo!"

Nisa looked at her sidekick with a worried expression on her face. "W-What are you talking about, faithful companion? We've gone to school with each other for a few years, now. Are... Are you feeling alright? You don't have a fever, do you!?"

"Gust has no fever! Listen, Nisa, this isn't real! You are not schoolgirl either! You fight evil around the world. You don't just ward off bullies!"

The heroine turned her back on the girl, feeling frightened; Her friend was talking utter nonsense! Although, something about the game expo she mentioned made her feel a twinge in the back of her mind.

And fighting evil around the world? Why, this upholder of righteousness has never even left this landmass! Anyone could see that the alchemist's story was just a fantasy!

"I-I-I'm gonna go back to the dance... I gotta... m-make sure no one is facing injustice, and... stuff." Quickly, she fled the scene. Gust sighed. While it took a kiss to set IF's mind back in place, it seems simply seeing a single scrap of remains from the actual world had set the alchemist back on the right track.

I guess it will take a bit more for Nisa to remember...

* * *

Noire sulked off in the corner of the gym, pretending not to notice Neptune dancing with some strange man.

"I-I don't mind... She can dance with whoever she wants to... It's not like I care, or anything." Man, the tsundere is strong with this one today!

So, Lady Black Heart watched from a distance as the woman she loved grooved along with somebody else. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't step up and admit her true feelings to the ditz, especially when surrounded by the whole school.

Was she too embarrassed to put her feelings out on the table for everyone else to see? Did she fear the social stigma that might come with loving another woman?

How could she ever overcome her uneasiness? Was she destined to lose Neptune?

Her self-deprecating thoughts came to a halt, though, when the scene before her progressed to a different level.

"My, my... We are certainly in sync with each other, dontcha' think?" Adrian cooed as he and Neptune swayed from side to side.

"You betcha, we are! Man, we're like two pods in a pea, or whatever..."

Slowly, the man grew ever closer to the ditz, who was entirely too focused on dancing to notice...

From the opposite sidelines as Lady Black Heart, IF watched the scene unfold, realizing that shit was about to get real. "Crap! If I let that guy smooch Nep, it's all over. Gotta think of somethin' fast..."

But there was no need.

"Get away from MY Neptune, ya creep!" Lady Black Heart shrieked. Adrian turned his head at the noise, barely registering what he was hearing. His eyes widened for only a brief instant, beginning to realize that something wasn't quite right. However, when the fist made contact with his face, he crumpled to the cold, hard floor.

"N-Noire!?" Gasped Neptune, surprise plastered on all of her features; A rare sight indeed!

Without responding, Noire grasped the ditz's face, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. The two reunited lovers seemed at peace, as if they understood everything now.

Lady Black Heart definitively resolved that she shouldn't suppress her true emotions. She loved Neptune, and if two people sincerely loved each other, they shouldn't have to hide that fact. So what if there were naysayers? Screw 'em.

Upon coming to terms with her long-fought battle that stretched between both the true world and this nasty corrupted one, precious images flashed throughout the two lovers' minds. Clearly, their memories were back.

IF stood before the two girls, her eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets.

"T-The hell!? That was unexpected... Job well done, I guess." The battle-hardened veteran scratched the back of her head. Why was Noire kissing Nep? Was it a side-effect of this strange corrupted world, or...

The two girls separated, and eyed each other with wonder. "I'm sorry, Neptune! I... I love you, and I never meant to make you mad! Please forgive me!" Dear, that was dramatic.

"Oh, Noiwey, I wasn't ever mad at you! In fact, I planned to sneak away from you at the expo all along; You just gave moi a golden opportunity! Me gots a surpwise for you~"

"Wh-Wha? So... you were never angry that I didn't like Adrian?"

Neptune smiled and continually poked Noire's cheeks. "Of course not! To tell ya the truth, Aidrey was kinda real creepy, and stuff." She cheerfully pointed at the unconscious jerk who was now crumpled in a total heap upon the ground. "You were right all along!"

"So... you had me worrying for NOTHING?" Noire screamed, steam pouring out of her ears.

"Wuh oh... Uh, Noiwey, that's a real scary face ya got goin' on right there..." The tsundere prepared to clobber the ditz, but IF intervened at the exact right moment.

The brunette cleared her throat, causing the two girls to turn their heads. Neptune's eyes lit up.

"Iffy! Whatcha' doin' here, Iffy? You didn't tell us you were going to the game expo!"

"H-Heya Nep, hey Noire... Uh, I don't mean to intrude, but... um, don't you notice anything strange?" The brunette really hoped that the odd situation wouldn't be lost on the two goddesses.

Both Noire and Neptune glanced at their surroundings slowly.

"Hey! Where are we? I don't see no snack stand anymore... N-Noiwey... what's goin' on here?" Lady Purple Heart asked hesitantly, finally showing some confusion over the school environment.

"The hell if I know. Is this still the expo?" The tsundere replied.

IF shrugged. "I'm still not too sure myself. From what I know, our world is under some sort of convoluted plot that the average reader wouldn't understand. Hm... seems familiar, actually... You two need to get out of this gym as soon as possible while I work on getting us home."

Neptune blankly stared at the brunette for a long time, even making Noire uncomfortable. After what had to be a few minutes, the ditz shouted "Kay! Come on, Noiwey, let's blow this Tuffmil stand!"

The tsundere was taken aback. "Y-You're serious? You're not even gonna try to convince her to let you help?"

"Nah, Iffy knows what she's doin'. Besides..." The ditz tickled Lady Black Heart's chin. "I want to show you my surprise..."

Noire's face reddened at her seductive tone, and she quickly looked away. The battle-hardened veteran couldn't help but ask the new question that was on her mind. "So, uh... pardon me asking, but how long have you two...?"

Neptune grinned, and the tsundere continued to look away. "Oh, a few weeks now, at least. Man, you should have seen her that first night; She was like a caged horsebird set free in the wild!" The ditz sighed happily, and pulled the embarrassed girl closer. "You sure are one privileged gal, Iffy; You're the first we've officially broke the news to! It's ok, you can squee. I won't judge."

IF didn't know what to say. To think that the Neptune she knew could possibly be in love; Why, only a madman could even conceive of the idea! Add to the fact that it was Lady Black Heart, who reciprocated said feelings, and you had the makings of a total mindscrew!

However, the brunette could see that the two were happy to be with each other. Who could wish for a better fate for one's party members? "Well, congrats, you two... You guys certainly deserve each other."

"T-Thanks..." Noire replied meekly, still looking away. Neptune quickly ran over and hugged the brunette, then locked her elbow with Black Heart's and began to trek on out of the dance floor.

"Good luck, Iffy! Don't let the evil guys destroy the galaxy!" With that, the two made their exit, finally out of harm's way.

IF sighed. "Whew... Ok back to work..."

* * *

"Sooooo... Would you care to dance now?"

Nepgear absent-mindedly shook her head, not really registering Alex's words. The CPU Candidate still appeared to be enthralled over the girl she had spied earlier. Something about the stranger was so familiar, and so... warm?

Now, the young purple-haired teen didn't know a lot about love, but that mysterious girl had awoken a plethora of alien emotions within her heart. If this wasn't love, than love must be a dangerous thing indeed.

The young man accompanying her, however, knew everything about love... at least, everything that had been programmed into his brain. Upon meeting Nepgear, a plethora of emotions overcame his heart, as well. Unlike the girl, though, his feelings were not those of love; No, they were the feelings of acceptance, of finding one's destiny.

No, Alex did not truly love Nepgear; He loved how she was the only wall between him and paradise. To ascend, he would use every corrupted little thing he knew about love to manipulate the young, innocent girl.

Seeing her so entranced by another being infuriated him to no end. He couldn't allow another person to make her happy; Only he was allowed to!

More determined than ever before in his short life, and with fire in his eyes, Alex sauntered over to the unsuspecting candidate.

... Oh dear, I don't like the looks of this...

"Nepgear, are you okay? You seem to be lost in thought..."

The girl slowly looked at the man's face, then shook her head frantically. "O-Oh, it's nothing. I... I'm just tired. I think I had a little too much punch." Hm, that's an odd excuse.

"Oh my... Well, how about we take a little walk?"

"U... O-Ok. That sounds fun..." The girl took the man's hand and stood, and they both slowly walked on. With a sickening smile on his face, Alex wrapped his arm around Nepgear's precious neck. "Hm...? Alex, what are you doing?"

The man pressed Nepgear uncomfortably close, and began to nestle his head in her rich, purple hair. "Nepgear, your hair is so soft... and so intoxicating..."

"Wha-? S-Stop that! It... It feels weird." I'm really not liking where this is going.

"Nepgear... I truly am grateful for earlier today. Why, I thought Chika was going to kill me. Yet, you arrived just in time, like a guardian angel." He brought his mouth to her ear. "Of course, your beauty clearly outshines any angel out there."

Planeptune's CPU Candidate began to feel really uncomfortable. Hell, I'm feeling dirty just watching this. "Let me go! P-Please!"

"No." Alex spoke firmly and unrelentingly. Any charm he once appeared to have was gone. "I'm afraid I can't let you go, Miss Nepgear; I am too deeply infatuated by you. You're mine now."

He pressed the girl up against the wall and sneered at her terrified face. "Kiss me, Nepgear. Together, we can become one with the universe." Shit, I can't watch this anymore! Curse these bindings! If only I could...

Wait... Wait! I was easily able to get Linda out of this place! Maybe I could... I mean, sure, this story needs somebody reading it to you, but maybe I can abandon my post for a moment. It's certainly better than watching poor little Nepgear go through this horrifying scene!

...O-Ok, I'm going for it! Nepgear, here I co-

"Hey, let her go, you creep!"

Wha...? S-Someone walked up to them!

"Whaddya want? Can't you see we're a little busy here?" Alex growled. Nepgear whimpered, and the man pressed his hand against her mouth.

"Hey, you're hurting her!" The newly arrived girl shouted. She swiftly punched the young man's back. He chuckled darkly, and let the purple-haired girl out of his clutches. His back still turned to the unknown intruder, he spoke.

"Well, well, well... So, some bitch wants to pick a fight with me, huh? Well... how 'bout this!?" Alex quickly lashed out at the intruder, but was stunned to see that no one was there. "Th-The hell is this? W-W-Where'd you go!?"

"Hiyahh!" With a potent 'Thwack!', a heavy blunt object smacked down on the young man's head. Is that a... triple-barreled shotgun?

"S...Shit..." Alex muttered, then collapsed in a tremendously dramatic fashion. Nepgear began to faint after everything that had just happened, but the intruder caught her before she fell.

"Hey... you okay? It's safe now." The girl asked. She gazed at Nepgear's face, and instantly became immersed in the pure innocence radiating from her. The stranger, too, didn't know a whole lot about love, but right now, she was confident that she was falling deep into it.

"Y-Yes... Thank you-!" Nepgear's eyes adjusted to the face before her, finally coming down from the shock of Alex's attempted assault. Upon seeing the close-up face of the beautiful girl she had spied from across the dance floor, heart-warming memories came flooding back into her soul. In that instant, her mind became clear.

"U-Uni?" Nepgear asked. The savior blushed at hearing this goddess of a girl speak her name so lovingly. The candidate reached her hand up, and pressed it lightly to the little tsundere's cheek.

"N-N-N-Nepgear!?" Uni, too, finally remembered, and the two girls embraced in a warm hug. Oh, what a joyous scene! Hm... but aren't they forgetting a little... mishap?

After a moment, Lastation's CPU Candidate remembered what had happened moments before her mind had been wiped. In a flash, she puffed out a cheek and broke away from the purple sister. "H-Hey! I-I don't know what's going on, but... this changes nothing. You betrayed me!" Uni cried. Damn, I think I jinxed things.

"B-Betray you! Goodness, what are you talking about? I'd never do such a thing, Uni! How could you think that?"

"I saw you! You... You and Falcom were..." With that, the tsundere broke into tears.

"F-Falcom? What about Falcom? I haven't heard from her for weeks! What did you see?"

Uni turned her head and grunted, puffing out her cheeks more vibrantly this time. "You walked over to Falcom at the expo and kissed her! I saw it all!"

It was clear that Nepgear was confused beyond all hope. Oh my, how could she get Uni to understand?

"The brat's not lyin'. She's not the one who smooched that adventuress chick."

A surprise voice came from behind the girls. They both turned, and Uni immediately sprang to a battle position.

"U-Underling? You're here too?" Nepgear asked in complete surprise. The ASIC member scratched her head awkwardly.

"Yeah, uh, don't ask. Anyways, I'm... here to help you guys, I guess." Linda attempted a smile, but it just caused Uni to feel even more weary of her presence.

"Why would you help us? All you've ever done was cause trouble!" Uni shouted, even more annoyed than she was a mere moment ago.

"Ugh... hey, I don't like it either, but if I don't help you little brats, then we'll never get back home. Can't have you two at each other's throats the entire time!"

Nepgear looked back and forth from Underling and Uni with an unsure expression on her face. "Um, wait, what did you say before, Underling?... D-Do you know what Uni is talking about!?"

The ASIC member once again scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, about that..." Linda needed to say something to get these two focused on the bigger problem at hand, but she figured it was too much of a hassle to tell the truth; Counterparts are so clichéd, you know? Instead, she decided that this route was the appropriate way to go: "...Um, that was me."

Uni blinked several times. "Y-You? That was you? Uh, how?"

Underling chuckled embarrassedly, and scratched her cheek. "Ha, funny story actually... Ya see, I needed to distract the security guards so I could do... evil things at the game expo! Yeah, that's it! So, I, uh, used my master of disguise skills to throw suspicion offa my ass! That adventuress chick happened to be the only guard stationed at the time, and I figured she was the type that 'rolled that way', so I gave her one helluva peck on the lips to distract her. Fortunately for you guys, this whole shit happened before I could accomplish my... evil things."

In her head, Linda cursed herself. 'Shit, that sounded flimsy, at best. Dammit, Nepgeo... You're not even here, and you're makin' me babble like an idiot... one with a weird accent, even!'

The little tsundere squinted her eyes suspiciously, obviously not completely buying the story. Nepgear, too, had her reservations, but something about the way Underling spoke eased her mind. The former ASIC member had obviously gone through some type of trauma recently; She could tell from the way her eyes looked. They lacked the tenacity that was present all the past times she had opposed them.

Nepgear had only ever seen Linda cry once, but she was immediately reminded of that time; It was something she could never forget. Right now, she looked just as broken up as she had back then, though she was pretty good at trying to hide it.

Underling had been crying, hadn't she? Whatever was tearing her apart obviously had to do with this confusing new world. This wasn't a trick to betray the candidates when they least expected it; No, Underling was willing to work with her enemies just to escape this illusion. Her heart was crying out to them.

Uni, however, did not pick up on the subtle clues. "A likely story! Listen, I don't know why you're covering for this traitor, but I'm not falling for it!" Lastation's CPU candidate once again turned her back to the two, and crossed her arms.

"Damn, she's a stubborn one..." Linda mumbled.

"Um, Miss Underling... I-Is everything ok? You look sad." Nepgear asked, confident that her theory was correct.

The ASIC member looked at the purple-haired girl, and saw how sure her eyes looked; The brat obviously figured out something. While trying to suppress a blush, she replied: "Y-Y-Yeah, of course! Everything's dandy... Well, besides this shitty school..." Nepgear's scrutinizing face grew closer to hers, and she began sweating profusely. Gee, those eyes sure are penetrating. "Ah, I can't take it! If I tell you brats the truth, will ya just forgive each other, or somethin'!? If you guys are fighting, then we'll never get home!"

Nepgear nodded in satisfaction, and Uni grumbled. "Hmph, fine! I'll listen, b-but don't think I'll believe you!"

Linda sighed in resignation, and hid her face as she spoke. "The other day, I was tasked to find some broad named Nepgeo for ASIC. Sure enough, I found her, and I... well, we got to know each other a little, that's all!... A-Anyways, we had to go to the game expo for who knows what, and she bet me that she could kiss some random girl for, like, a minute, with no resistance whatsoever. That kiss just so happened to be with that adventuress chick. If you wanted to know... well, I lost the bet..." The girl smiled a bit, but looked towards the ground somberly. "I don't know exactly what's goin' on, but wherever we are, she's... dead... and I can't let that fly! So you two gotta get all lovey dovey with each other again, or whatever, and we gotta get the hell out of here!"

Nepgear nodded with a smile, her suspicions confirmed. It seems Underling has fallen in love...

Uni puffed her cheeks out even more. "S-So what you're trying to say is that your girlfriend looks exactly like Nepgear? T-T-T-That's just... stupid!"

"H-Hey! Who said anything about her being my girlfriend!?... But, yeah, she made a career out of looking like this brat over here."

Uni wanted to disregard everything the ASIC member said, but, strangely enough, the story rang true with her. She remembered an event that took place just a few days ago...

Uh oh... I smell yet another flashback! Who wants to bet that it also includes scenes Uni couldn't possibly have seen?

_Uni was heading to the designated meeting point: The hotel that she and Nepgear had begun their first date weeks prior. On her way, though, a massive throng of dogoos swarmed the street, so the candidate was forced to take a detour through town. Shortly thereafter, she was greeted by an even stranger sight._

_"N-Nepgear? Why is she standing over there? That's not where we agreed to meet... Ooh... I get it..." The little tsundere thought that her girlfriend may have been planning a practical joke (no matter how unlikely that was), but she wasn't going to let that happen. No, she was going to one up her! Sneaking up behind the purple-haired CPU Candidate, she lunged forth and wrapped her arms around the girl. "Ha, surprise, Nepgear!"_

_Uni happily rubbed her face in the girl's hair, but noticed that it felt quite different from what she was accustomed to. Before she could speak, the purple-haired girl chuckled._

_"Why, hello there. Did you think I was Nepgear? Actually, I'm Nepgeav, the-" The fake Nepgear turned to face the confused tsundere, and widened her eyes in quiet surprise, "-girl of your dreams. Hey there, cutie-pie. What's an adorable little thing like you doin' walking around this town dressed like that? Why, you could attract some... dangerous fellas, you know. How about I..." She wrapped her arms around Uni, "...escort you someplace safe?"_

_"Uhm, Uh... No thank you, Miss Nepgeav! I, um, thought you were someone else... I really need to be going now!" Uni struggled to break free._

_"Please, darling, you can call me by my real name: Nepgeo... I don't have anything to hide from you~"_

_Lastation's CPU Candidate managed to break free, and ran off. "I-I really need to go! N-N-Nice meeting you, Miss Nepgeo!"_

_Nepgeo chuckled, and began mumbling to herself. "Man, that was a real cute girl... Didn't smell like she had a boyfriend, either. Hmm... so then, is there a lucky gal that she belongs to? Heh heh... that makes me happy." The purple-haired imposter started humming, and continued to roam the streets... Doesn't that Nepgeo ever go home? Like, to her family, or whatever?_

_Now that I think about it, Nepgeo's never mentioned any parents, or anything at all. Sure, a few random stories of conquests, but that's it... Well, I guess no one in this story has ever mentioned their parents, but... I don't know..._

_...OH! I dearly apologize for rambling. I've, uh, remembered some things in my brief time away from this seat, and realized that I did, in fact, know Nepgeo much longer than you, faithful viewers. Hm... now that I'm in a position to think more... purely, I guess, she always was a complete mystery to me. And believe me, that's saying something when you've worked with the people that I did!_

_...Heh, I apologize again! Being a new, free man is such a wonderful feeling indeed!_

_This flashback is long past its time, so let's go back to the present..._

"T-That Nepgeo? The perverted one?... I always knew you were messed up, but dating someone like that?! You're... You're weird!" Uni shouted again, pointing a judging finger at Underling. Her face was crimson red.

Linda sighed. "Yeah, she's a real piece of work, but what can ya do?... A-And we're not dating! Anyways, she's the one you saw, not this brat. Now... can you two please make up already!?"

Nepgear hesitantly turned towards the tsundere, and gently cupped her cheek. "Uni, I would never do anything to hurt you... I love you."

"Nepgear..." Tears began to swell up in the tsundere's eyes, and she cupped the purple-haired girl's cheek as well. "I-I'm so sorry! How could I believe that you'd cheat on me!? I'm such a bad girlfriend!" Thus, the girl began to cry.

"Goodness, Uni, please don't cry! You're a great girlfriend..." Uni lifted her head, and looked directly in her lover's eyes. "... The best..." The two CPU Candidates joined their lips together, and became one yet again. And this time, dear reader, I can only see their relationship being brighter than it was before! Oh, how jubilant I am at this moment!

Underling watched the two girls kiss, feeling pretty awkward. She honestly didn't expect them to start making out so intensely. Seeing the two girls so happy, so in love, made the ASIC member feel a sort of... longing in her heart; She refused to admit it, but she needed something like that. She needed somebody to love; She needed to be loved.

"I'm comin', Geo..." Linda whispered to nothing in particular.

Remembering that they were not the only ones there, the two reunited lovers separated and straightened themselves out. "Ahum... So, what do we do now?" Nepgear asked, acting as if nothing happened.

"Yeah, uh... To tell ya the truth, I'm just winging this. I was kinda hoping that you guys would emit, like, some magic beam that brings us back home after forgiving each other... Guess not, huh?" Underling tapped her head for a moment, lost in thought. Suddenly, she remembered the last scene she saw before she left this seat that I am currently fated to occupy. "Hold on... We need to find that IF chick!"

"M-Miss IF is here?" Nepgear asked, though she wasn't too surprised; Seems everyone went to this game expo. She looked at Uni, who just shrugged in response. "Can she help us?"

"Sure hope so... Some strange broad was explaining a whole lot of things to her earlier. Finding both of 'em certainly wouldn't hurt our chances." Linda slowly began walking away, hoping to find the diamond in the rough, so to speak... Yeah, that's the best I got. Despite my energy, I'm really exhausted right now; How about you?

"H-Hey! Wait for us!" Uni cried out, and both she and Nepgear pursued the ASIC member. Would they find Miss IF and Miss Red in this crowded gymnasium? Only time will tell...

* * *

"What ails you, my comrade-in-arms!? You look as if you've seen a ghost!" Almaz exclaimed rather dramatically. Nisa avoided her partner's gaze, and replied.

"Gust is spouting nonsense! Why, our plucky little sidekick is rambling on about this school being a mere fabrication! You don't suppose evil spirits have claimed her mind, do you?"

Almaz's eyes flashed for a moment, and he grimaced subtly; In a second, it was gone. "I'm sure it's nothing; M-Maybe she's just tired, or something. It has to be past her bedtime by now... But, man... this school, a fake? That's funny..." The young man chuckled lightly, but something didn't ring true with the heroine of justice.

"Do... Do you know what Gust was talking about?" Maybe she was just tired, but seeing Almaz's face infuriated her for some reason. She slowly began sifting through her memory banks, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall just how they had met in the first place... Was she going insane?

"Wha...? Me? Of course I do not! H-How could I understand our subordinate's crazed ramblings? I-I-I'm not insane!... Heh heh... heh..." Boy, this guy's not transparent at all, or anything!

Hearing this young man bad-mouth her friend like this sparked a rage in Nisa the likes of which she's rarely ever experienced. "I didn't say that I thought she was insane! How dare you talk about my loyal Gust like that! No upholder of justice should ever talk about their comrades in such a way!" The heroine then lidded her eyes slightly. "And why are you acting so jumpy? Why are you hiding something from me?"

Almaz began sweating profusely, and shut his eyes tight, clearly deep in thought. Yeah, good luck buddy; You've gotten yourself into some deep shit now.

Right before Nisa could unleash her frustrations, the brown-haired young man cracked a smile. "I-I guess now's a better time than any... Nisa, there's been... something I've been meaning to tell you all of this time, but I... could never bring myself to say it..."

"Wha...? What is it?" The man stepped extremely close, causing the heroine's face to redden.

"E-E-Ever since I've met you, I've..." With that, Almaz opened his eyes right in Nisa's face. "...I've been smitten with you..."

Perhaps the young man was attempting to be charming or something, but that simple act was the trigger we've been looking for. Yep... I think that did it.

"Y-You!?" Nisa recognized those eyes. Indeed, they were the same eyes that had stared back at her from a test tube... back when the world was normal.

Flashes of memories filled her mind, and in an instant, she knew: Gust had been right all along! This wasn't the world she remembered! And this Almaz... he was a complete stranger. Hell, not only that, but...

He was an enemy.

"Oh dear, whatever is the matter, my lovely Nisa? Are my feelings too much for your fragile little heart to-"

The heroine wasted no time. "Justice... KICK!"

"-UGH!" With that, Almaz went flying a pretty fair distance.

"Take that, evildoer!" Fully back in her own mind, Nisa went flying out of the gym to reacquaint with her sidekick...

* * *

"Iffy-poo! I'm back~" Red hollered from behind. The brunette jumped at the startling voice that came from out-of-nowhere.

"R-R-Red! Ah, good... good... So, uh, did you get everything all set up?"

"Ahum! Yep, everything's ready to go!" The girl walked close and whispered into IF's ear. "I have some special guest voters on the way. We got the Hoshi competition wrapped around our fingers!"

"S...Should I even ask? Nah, better that I don't." IF sighed. Red smiled brightly, and wagged a finger in front of her.

"Just so you know, a lot of those guys we're watching out for have already been dealt with. What luck, right? Also... have I got a surprise for you, my dear wifey! Be right back!" Before anything else could be said, the young girl ran off back into the crowd. After a minute, the battle-hardened veteran could see her returning, although... she wasn't alone.

"Ta-Dah!" Red peppily called, though her voice was a little strained; The unconscious body she was holding must have been heavy. "A-A little help here, wifey..."

"C-Compa!? What the?" IF quickly ran over and helped hold the sleeping medic. "Is she okay? What happened!?"

"Ah, don't worry, Iffy-poo, she's fine! I happened to come across her and that York guy... It, uh, didn't quite go exactly as planned, but I managed to get rid of him! I think Compa regained her memories, but she passed out... Is she afraid of dragons?"

The brunette... you guessed it... sighed once again. "She probably didn't expect to run into one here, that's for sure... Hey, why is she even here in the first place? I figured that only people who went to the expo were here."

"Hmmmmm... Well, nope, ya thought wrong, I guess." Red declared nonchalantly. What, no more long, drawn-out exposition pieces? I'm kind of disappointed... "Oh yeah, before you ask... One more big surprise for you!" Red once again went scampering back into the crowd. Wow, no one else in this gym notices her in the slightest... That sounds sorta sad when written down...

IF once again stood in waiting, wondering why Red couldn't just tell her what she found. If it was some more of her party members, then she was just gonna have to help her carry them anyways...

Sure enough, the young girl was now desperately trying to hold up two individuals. "Lady Vert! Chika! Okay, what happened this time?"

The battle-hardened veteran took the goddess and oracle, and sat them down next to Compa. Red blushed and scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "Boy, do I have a story for you! Ya see..."

... Oh, were you expecting her to finish? Um, frankly, I was too... However, this wonderous tale doesn't seem to be showing up on this page? Hm... Could it have possibly been omitted for time? Wait, so out of everything in this long-ass chapter, this one tale from Red is where we draw the line? Absolutely nothing else could have been edited down but that!? Where's the sense in that!?

Oh, I give up. Hey, look, her story is over.

"So... How long do we have left?" I think everyone's asking that question.

"Ah, not that much longer now! But, Iffy... there's one more thing you need to do."

"Hm... What now? I already found Nep and Noire, but this place is too crowded to find the others. And besides, didn't you say most of the creepy guys already got incapacitated? What's left?" However, deep in her mind, she knew the answer. One very important person was still in danger out there...

"Hehe... One more creep is left, wifey-poo! And to top it all off, he's right over there..." Red pointed to a clearing in the crowd, and IF gasped. There, in the middle of the floor, was 5pb and her dance partner, Hide.

"Wow... she looks so beautiful..." The battle-hardened veteran weakened upon seeing the love of her life move so graciously. The young man holding her, however, pissed her off. A new sense of resolve awoke inside of her. However, so did doubt.

"Ok... so, what should I do? I mean... How do I break them apart? Back when my mind was muddled, the two really seemed to like each other. I know she's not in her right mind, but... I don't think I can do it..."

"Hey, you gotta stop worrying, Iffy! I mean... if those two kiss, it's all over, y'know..." Red suddenly reached out and put her hand in the brunette's coat pocket.

"H-H-Hey! W-What are you doing?" IF gasped. Red grinned.

"Here, use this!" With that, her hand re-emerged from the pocket, and she now held... a throwing knife? Ah, so that has been there all along! Hmm... Yeah, that can't be good...

"What the hell's that!? W...Where'd that come from?" Seeing a lone throwing knife emerge from her own pocket certainly didn't sooth her uneasiness.

"You threw the rest at me, silly; Dontcha remember?" Red didn't give IF enough time to answer. Instead, she wrapped one arm around the brunette, and struck an aiming pose at the two dancers. "OK wifey-poo. Now, this may sound harsh, but don't think about it too much. That Hide guy is pretty strong-willed, so he won't crack under pressure as easily as the other ones. Therefore, I want you to chuck that knife directly at his face! They're pretty sharp, so it should do just fine."

IF nodded at the words, though her mind hadn't yet caught up. "Okay, chuck it at his face; Got it!" The battle-hardened veteran took hold of the knife, but then slowly turned her head to the young girl, shock prevalent on her face. "W-W-W-W-Wait a minute! Whaddya mean, I gotta throw this at his face!? I can't just stab the bastard!"

Red sighed, though a smile still remained. "Iffy, Iffy, Iffy... If you don't get that guy good, then we can kiss your world goodbye! Now, imagine he's a monster ready to snack on Fivey; Can you do it now?"

The brunette began sweating. "N-NO! I... I can't attack a human! Creep or no creep, I can't just stab a defenseless-" Across the way, the two dancers grew ever closer.

"I love you, 5pb." Hide remarked, stars in his eyes. The idol gazed dreamily into those fantastic orbs...

IF noticed this development, and let me tell you, she was not too happy about it. "Shit... Fine, stand back, Red!" The battle-hardened veteran readied her battle formation, and swiftly flung the last throwing knife at the young man.

"I love you, Hi-" Before 5pb could finish, the man holding her so close lurched backwards awkwardly. "Hi-Hide!?"

The man felt his face, and discovered that a knife had wedged itself between his eyes. "Hmm... now this is a problem..."

"...Oh my God, Hide! W-We need to get help! Just... stay calm!" The pop idol screamed. Her partner simply waved his hand dismissively.

"It's no use, my lovely 5pb-chan; I'm done for. How cruel fate can be..." The man lowered himself to the ground, obviously acting overtly-hammy.

It's kind of scary... That man's not bleeding... I guess I'm no expert at these things (The human body is a mystery to me), but shouldn't a knife wound like that produce... some amount of blood spillage? Egh... Let's just get back to the scene; I'm gonna irk myself out. Funny, considering I used to enjoy blood spillage...

"Don't say that, Hide! Hey, it's not even that bad of an injury! S-Stay right here... I'll find some help."

Hide put his finger to her lips. "Forgive me, my love, but it is my time to join the pixelated angels in the sky. But, grant me one final wish, Lyree... Kiss me..."

"Hide... O-Of course!" 5pb sobbed. She slowly lowered her head closer to the dying man's lips, maneuvering around the protruding knife. Man, that must be an uncomfortable position...

"Lyrica!" Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Oh... it's only IF... Geez, all this surprise screaming is going to give me a heart attack... Can I even have one of those?

5pb lifted her head right as she was about to kiss the young man, and saw the battle-hardened veteran bolting over to her. "You... You're IF from the diner, right? Please, can you get us some help!?"

The brunette shook her head. "Lyree... Don't you remember me? Forget that whole diner thing... Don't you remember our old home?"

The pop idol stared in confusion; Visible question marks arose from her head. Hide spoke once again. "Please, Fivey... I don't have much time..."

"Don't kiss him, Lyree... It's a trick. If you fall for him, then we're all screwed! Just... come over here..." The battle-hardened veteran held out her hand gently towards the blue-haired girl.

"What are you talking about? Why would I even listen to you? I... I just met you today! Please, either get help, or leave me the hell alone!" Her bluntness stunned the young IF; So much so, that she became frozen in her tracks. The idol shot her one last glare, and moved back to kiss Hide.

"Crap... W-What do I do?" IF mumbled. Hearing 5pb, the love of her life, yell at her like that broke down the fortitude she had just recovered.

"Oh, brother, do I have to do everything myself!?" A voice called from behind the brunette. She turned and saw Underling, who was quickly running over to the downed couple. 5pb once again looked up.

"What the? Aren't you-" Before she could finish, the ASIC member knocked her out cold with a swift chop of her hand.

"Yeah, uh, please don't hold that against me. I already have enough enemies as it is." Linda apologized to the unconscious girl. She picked her up, and walked over to the brunette. "Here, and you're welcome."

IF snapped out of her paralysis. "Underling!? What the hell was that for? And aren't you supposed to be...?"

"Yeah, someone thought it would be funny to kill me off, but that's not important! I just saved our asses, ya dumb broad! If she's unconscious, then she can't kiss that freak over there."

The battle-hardened veteran sighed. "... I wish you could have been more gentle, but... fine, I guess I owe you some thanks, or whatever. I take it you're on our side this time?"

Linda crossed her arms and turned her head to the side. "Y-Yeah, I'm on your side... but only for today, you hear!? Don't think this is gonna be a consistent thing, or some shit..."

Two girls appeared from behind Underling, and greeted the brunette. "Hello, Miss IF! I'm so glad we found you~" Nepgear cooed happily. Uni simply gave a short nod, but remained silent.

"Heya guys... Jeez, did everyone get roped into this crap?" IF greeted the two, trying to put on a straight face. They each briefed each other on what had happened so far, and right as they were ready to meet back up with Red, the dying young man... sat up.

"Ugh... Yeah, now I'm pissed." Hide loudly declared. The girls glanced his way, and Nepgear let loose a wail.

"Kyaaa! Why's there a knife in his face?" The purple-haired candidate nearly fainted, but Uni held her up.

"The hell!?" IF whined. She didn't know that a knife wound like that was so easily survivable. Either way, she felt quite guilty about nearly killing the man.

Hide made an annoyed expression, and grabbed the handle of the knife. Slowly, he... Oh God, he's pulling it out! I can't look... Ok, maybe just a peek... No, no, bad idea...

The girls watched in horror as the throwing knife was yanked right from the man's face, and how little he reacted. It was as if the knife... hadn't done any damage at all...

With the weapon fully out of his head, Hide looked at the group and smiled pleasantly. His face had no visible sign of injury. Wh-What the?

"Shit... What are you?" IF groaned. Linda remained silent, not too keen on gaining the eerie man's attention.

Hide stood up, and calmly walked up to the brunette. "Why would you ruin this for me, IF? Heh, don't worry... You'll get yours soon enough..."

"Miss IF, watch out!" Nepgear cried. The battle-hardened veteran noticed the golden dragon soaring her way, and ducked for cover.

"A... dragon? What the hell is that su-" Hide began, but in an instant, he puffed into smoke. Where the young man once stood was now a pile of... words? Instead of ashes, he turned into ink?

At this, Nepgear finally fainted. "Oh no! Don't do this again!" Uni whined, holding up the limp candidate.

"..." All of the girls were silent, staring in awe at what just went down.

"Ya see? That is why I don't associate with you bimbos." Linda sighed.

"Um, Miss IF... You have any clue what that was?" Uni asked hesitantly. The brunette smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I do: She's the one who's gonna get us back home... Her presentation sure is sloppy, though..."

Uni blinked in confusion. "Ah, I see... That was a she? Was that your dragon?"

"No, she's not my dragon... Just keep watching." With perfect timing, the dragon hovered back over to the group, and flashed into a human once more.

"Whew, that was easier than expected! I guess that knife affected him more than I thought!" Red gleamed.

"Uh, guys... this is Red." IF hesitantly introduced.

"Um... Hey, Red...?" Uni hesitantly held out her hand. The young girl grabbed hold and shook it vigorously.

"Heya guys! Ah, you must be Uni, right? Nice to meetcha! You don't exist where I come from." She happily declared.

"D-Don't exist where... what?" Uni became exceptionally confused, so she receded back into the background.

Underling grimaced and shook the girl's hand as well. "Uhm, hi... I'm... Linda, but I assume you already know that..."

Red nodded peppily. "Tee hee... Hiya, Linda. Boy, have I wanted to meet you! Hmm... I usually don't ask villains this, but how would you like to be one of my wifeys?"

"W-W-Wifeys? N-N-N-N-No thanks! I don't roll with that whole wifey thing!" Linda panicked.

The young dragon girl gave a knowing smirk, and whispered into the ASIC member's ear. "Don't worry about Nepgeo; You can save her. And no matter what happens, promise me that both of you won't give up, ok?"

Underling tried to think of something clever to quip, but she simply nodded. "Y-Yeah, I promise... Thanks, I guess..."

After the greetings were over, someone finally got the nerve to ask a pressing question. "Um, did you kill that guy?"

Everyone looked at the newly awakened Nepgear, who had asked the question. Red scratched her head, possibly working out how she would deliver her explanation. "Um, well, I didn't kill him, per se; He, uh, never really existed in the first place... Well, I mean, he did exist, but..." Yeah, her words aren't going to sooth anyone. From our vantage point, she disintegrated a human being; A freak of nature, mind you, but a person is still a person.

"These men are creations of pure evil! I saw the facility that created them with my very own eyes!" Came yet another voice. Once more, the girls turned their heads, and were surprised to see Gamindustri's residual heroine of justice.

"Nisa!" Nepgear cheered. The heroine smiled bashfully.

"Great, Flatty's here too..." Underling mumbled.

Nisa's eye twitched at the comment, but ignored it. "Why, hello there, my fellow comrades-in-arms! I pray that you have remained safe in this cruel and twisted world."

"Please stop talking like that; It hurts Gust's ears." The alchemist sighed, popping out from behind the heroine.

"Gust is here too? Hey guys." IF said, attempting to feign surprise. "So, wait, what about a facility?"

Nisa nodded resolutely. "I was tasked to investigate the game expo here on Lastation. In my heroic search, I happened upon a sciency room..." She leaned her head towards Gust dramatically, "...full of SCIENCE!" Gust pushed the heroine's head away.

"Science, huh? ...Wait, you're not seriously tellin' me that those guys are actually...!?" IF came to a sudden realization.

"Indeed! There were a whole lot of tubes and stuff down there. In each one was a young man... well, some were empty already, but I assume they were all the same... Although... one was kinda confusing..." Nisa thought back to the one particular tube that was blank except for one single name. "...Hey, do any of you know someone named Li-" Before the heroine could finish, a chime sounded throughout the gym. Headmistress Chian began speaking over the intercom.

"Attention, all attendees: The Hoshi competition is about to be decided. May all interested voters please take a spot in front of the stage."

Red gave IF a thumbs up. "It's time, guys. Let's go; You'll know who to vote for." The young girl ran off into the crowd.

"W-Wait! Uh, follow me, guys." IF said, and, carrying 5pb, led the group towards the stage at the front of the gymnasium.

* * *

"So, what's gonna happen now?" Underling asked, awkwardly standing amidst the crowd. Red had pulled her over to the side.

"Hehe... When I give the signal, you have to walk up to the stage, Linda!"

"W-Why would I do that?"

"It's all part of the plan! Everyone thinks you're dead in this world, right? Well, show your face at the right time, and our couple will win; Easy!"

"I-If you say so... H-Hey, how do you know about me, anyways? I sure have never seen you before."

Red smiled, and wrapped an arm around the ASIC member's shoulder. "After our world was destroyed, I got special powers; I couldn't always turn into a dragon, y'know! To be honest, I'm not really too sure what happened, but no use questioning what you don't understand..." The girl's eyes wandered into space. "It took me forever, but I eventually found most of my wifeys, and a few others from back then. I never had a chance to bring them all together before, though..."

"Ah... did that... answer my question?" When Red didn't reply, Linda just sighed. "So, how long until I go up there?"

"... Huh? Oh... I believe they'll be the fourth couple called. I'll tell ya when I hear them..."

Underling scratched her head nervously. "Yeah, whatever you say..."

Meanwhile, IF tried to awaken the sleeping 5pb. "Hey, Lyree, come on! Wake up! There's not much time left..." Over the loud-speaker, she heard Chian announce the first couple.

"Our first candidates... Hiro and Sae!" A roar of applause resounded throughout the dance floor, and two girls could be seen walking up onto the stage. They raised their hands cheerfully, and even more cheers were emitted. A massive swarm of flower petals were flung into the air.

"Huh... So, whoever earns the most flower petals is deemed the winner? Astounding... hm, I wonder how they count them all...?" Nisa wondered, raising a pretty important question, if you ask me.

Gust looked around the room, quite annoyed. "No one better have stolen from Gust's booth! This better not take too long..."

"I am certain everything will be all right, my loyal sidekick! Why, in a few short minutes, we should all be back as if nothing happened! Although..." A dark thought just occurred to the heroine. "...Where will we all awaken? D'you suppose we'll go right back to the last place we were? If that's the case..." She remembered her last moments in the original world. Narrator was going back and forth between telling her to press a button that would shut down the facility, or leave it well alone. In the end, she...

"Oh my God... I'm responsible for all this! That button... Why, it didn't do a gosh-darned thing I was promised it would. Then that means that Narrator... Is he...?"

"Nisa, what are you mumbling about now?" The alchemist questioned, her voice sounding rather tired; Yes, I'm certain it must be past her bedtime! ... Hm, that's not important now, is it?

The heroine of justice snapped out of her thoughts, and smiled at the eccentric young girl. "Oh, it's nothing, my faithful Gust!" She began patting the girl on the overly large hat, causing the alchemist to sigh.

"Now, presenting our second couple... Yukari and Minato!" Even more cheers filled the gymnasium, and another couple took the stage. A whole lot of flower petals soared high into the air...

"Whew, made it just in time! Ah, look at all the flower petals, Noiwey!" Neptune gleamed.

At the ditz's side was Noire, who was looking more bashful than ever before. Did something happen between the two while they were off-screen?... Oh... I see what it is...

... Y'know, I'm not telling you; I don't think it's my place. Maybe soon...?

"...Oh, there's IF and... 5pb? Is everybody here?" Noire questioned. Neptune opened her mouth incredibly wide... but didn't say anything. "H-Hey, don't leave your mouth open like that; What if a fly gets in there again?"

"Oooh yeah, thanks for remindin' me... Ah! C'mon, Noire, I think I spy Nep Jr~"

"Wha... Ok..." The two ran off to reacquaint with their sisters...

At long last, 5pb slowly opened her eyes. "...W... What happened?" She groggily asked, slowly rubbing her head.

The battle-hardened veteran had planned something coherent and heart-felt to say, but all of that flew out of her head in that instant. Instead, tears formed in her eyes, and she began to sob.

"Lyree, I'm so sorry for everything! I've b-b-been an asshole this whole time; It's okay to admit it! How could I say those stupid things to you? I-I just got confused from those dreams... which weren't dreams, and I... Oh God, can you ever forgive me?"

The pop idol's eyes adjusted to the crying girl in front of her, and she slowly processed the words. "IF? What's going on...?"

"It's... it's too complicated to explain... Just... I've learned something these past few hours, Lyree... No matter what happens, I want you to know... No! I NEED you to know... that I lo-"

"Now, possibly the most anticipated couple of this evening, give it up for... Gino and IF!"

Everyone in the party recoiled in shock, and turned their attention towards the battle-hardened veteran.

"T-The hell is goin' on?" Linda growled. Red shook her head.

"This is what I figured would happened. I really shoulda killed him off when I had the chance..." Underling looked at the dragon girl in slight confusion, but remained silent. This was going to be bad, wasn't it?

Before the brunette could spit out those fated words to the love of her life, she began to... levitate?

"Wha-What's going on? Why am I flying?" IF screamed. 5pb instantly reached up and grabbed hold of her sleeves.

"Iffy! I... You're getting pulled away!" Lyrica cried. The battle-hardened veteran looked straight in the girl's eyes.

"D...Damn, every time... Lyree... no matter what happens to me, know that I love you more than anything in this world..." She began floating closer to the stage. "I know I've been an idiot lately, but... I'm confident now that I want to spend the rest of my life with you! I love you!"

Lyrica began crying as well. "I love you too, IF! D-Don't go!" She immediately tried to run after the flying brunette, but the crowd blocked her movements, almost as if they were intentionally preventing her from catching up.

In mere moments, IF wound up in the middle of the stage, and was dropped next to the familiar brown-haired young man from her supposed dream. This time, however, a major portion of his face was wrapped up in bandages. Oddly, nobody in the audience seemed to be alarmed by this fact. Were these random students surprised by nothing?

"Why, it's good to see you again, Miss IF." Gino said as pleasantly as ever. "I hope you don't mind this surprising entry; It wasn't my idea. I just had to do what I was told."

The brunette wasn't sure what to make of this man. He was clearly one of the enemies, but... he didn't seem that overtly evil. "Hey... Um, I know about you guys already. You're creations intended for destroying the world, right?"

Gino smiled sadly. "Yeah, you got us... Believe me, I was not happy when I found out either. I know you probably won't believe me, but... well, not all of us are evil. In fact, those other ones... they probably just cracked under pressure. Finding out that you don't really exist is a horrible feeling... Some of us didn't quite take it very well... Understandable, if you ask me."

IF had to nod at that. Sure, these guys were made by the enemy, whoever that was, but... did that automatically make them evil? If she found out that she was simply created to be used as a stealth weapon, wouldn't she have become emotionally unstable? If her whole life had been a lie... wouldn't she succumb to madness?

"Let me ask you this... Who made you guys, and what are their intentions? Why do they care about us?"

Gino shook his head. "We knew her only as Mother... She implanted in our heads the knowledge that our only purposes in life were to get you and your friends to develop feelings for us. When our jobs were complete, we and the rest of the world would join together with her... and find our redemption. Our meager little lives would finally have a purpose, and we could be free from our destiny." He lightly grasped a flower petal that rained down from the sky. Oh dear; Seems this couple was the most popular so far.

He continued. Man, this installment is chatty. "You see, I was released from my slumber prematurely, along with Adrian; We were among the first to awake, in fact. Have you met him? ...Oh well, doesn't really matter." His gaze fell to his feet. "In a perfect world, we all would have come to life when this school illusion was formed, but that's not the way it goes. Instead, all of us early risers had a greater chance of succumbing to madness... which, as you know, a lot of us did." He stared out into the crowd, and spotted Red. "If it wasn't for that dragon girl, then we may have committed even worse acts."

IF absorbed the wealth of exposition, and felt her heart sink slightly. "T-That's horrible... I'm so sorry..." The brunette remarked. Frankly, she didn't know how else to respond.

"Oh, don't apologize just yet; As much as it pains me to say, I'm still just a pawn in her scheme. If we win this competition, and we ARE scripted to win, then we will be expected to kiss. When that happens, well... this world now officially belongs to her." IF's eyes darkened upon hearing those words. "I'm so terribly sorry, Miss IF. If there was anything else I could do, I would... I really, truly would... I'm as keen on the idea of merging with Mother as much as you are... Whatever the hell that even implies."

An unprecedented amount of petals landed on the stage. For whatever reason, IF and Gino were the prospected winners. Darn... I sure hope that Miss Red knows what she's doing...

IF and Gino shared a look of uneasiness, and then were shooed to the side of the stage, along with the previous two couples.

"Oh no... Those two are going to win!" Nepgear gasped out loud.

"H-Hey! Don't give up so easily... IF trusted that weird girl, so... we should trust her too!" Uni resolved. She held the purple-haired candidate close.

Red tapped her hand against Underling's back. "Okay, Linda, you're comin' up now. Once the next couple gets called, I need you to walk right onto the stage. Got it?"

Linda began sweating, suddenly feeling very nervous. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Yeah, I gotcha..." Why did it have to be her? The anticipation was murderous.

"Well, after that strong showing, I don't even think we need to proceed! But, if there's one thing we endorse here at Lastation High, it's fairness. So, we are proud to present... Uh, am I reading this correctly?..." Chian stared at the piece of paper with the next couples' names on it, clearly perplexed. "Um, ok... without further ado... Kei and... Blanc!...?"

If Noire had been drinking punch, then she would have started choking on it. "T-The hell is this? Is this some kinda joke!?" Unfortunately, it wasn't. The rest of the party exchanged more looks of bewilderment.

Linda gulped and quickly sprinted up to the stage. On her way, she nearly knocked the approaching couple down. "H-Hey! Watch where you're goin', you jackass!" Blanc bellowed. Kei didn't respond, but she noticed something odd about the rude girl who bumped into them. Wasn't she...?

Linda stood right in the center of the stage, and held open her arms out as wide as possible; She felt it would be more dramatic. In an instant, murmurs were produced among the crowd. Ah, finally some surprise from the students!

"Wait... isn't that?" "Yeah, that's Linda!" "But... didn't she off herself last year?" "Dude, I went to the freakin' funeral, man!" "Is she... A GHOST!?" "Oh man, the school curse is REAL!?"

Underling shifted her eyes about awkwardly, waiting for the excitement to die down. After the crowd seemed to settle down, she spoke. "Um, hey there, everyone... Uh, just to clear up any confusion, I am not, in fact, dead; Never have been, preferably never will." More confused whispers. The ASIC member's eyes began twitching as she thought what to do next.

"...OK, listen, all you dirtbags: None of this is real! There has never been a Lastation High that admitted students from each and every landmass; That's just stupid! Second-of-all, how in the hell would a single high-school prom become known worldwide? Is any of this idiocy sinkin' into your thick skulls yet!?"

Slowly, everyone in the gym became incredibly silent; I don't believe it either, but Linda's speech appeared to have registered with them!

Underling breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Now, this world sucks compared to the actual one! I mean, the highlight of our lives is attending a school prom, for God sakes! In the actual world, you get to do whatever the hell you want, and no one is there to judge you. Hell, I hate their guts, but... back home, you're all protected by powerful goddesses who actually care about your opinions! Wouldn't you rather be there, instead of living a complete and utterly stupid lie?"

Sounds of approval emerged from the crowd. The party of heroines slowly began to cheer up; Underling's words were creating a profound effect.

"Yea-Hah! You tell 'em, Underlingy!" Neptune cheered. "I think she just complemented me, Noire!"

"W-Will you just... shut up for a minute, at least..." Noire sighed, clutching the ditz's arm quite intently.

While this turn of events was uplifting, another sudden realization dawned on Nisa as she stared at the ASIC member. Her eyes were wide with slight horror. Hmm... what do you suppose that is about?

By this point, Blanc and Kei had made it to the stage, and were staring confusedly at the girl they had presumed to be dead. Damn, seems their memories haven't yet returned...

Underling turned to look at them, and gave a smug grin. "So, listen, you little runts: If you want to return to the cooler world, then there's only one thing you can do!" She motioned towards the two girls. "You need to give the Hoshi crown to these two! Only then will this spell be broken!"

Blanc leaned close to Kei's ear. "Hey, uh... what the hell's goin' on?"

"I'm... not sure..." Kei replied, an unsure expression on her face. Underling ushered them towards the center, and they took their spots. Stunned, they raised their hands in a dazed victory gesture.

The crowd was at a loss for words. Oh dear... they're not going to throw any petals, are they?

Suddenly, Headmistress Chian walked up to the couple, clearly in a stupor. She looked in wonder at Linda. For the past year, she had blamed herself for the disaster that befell the last Hoshi winners. Now, seeing one of the dead winners talking right in front of her... frankly, her mind had been blown. Even more so, though...

She remembered... She remembered everything...

She was from a whole other universe, one that had been... erased. None of this was real... She had been under some manipulative spell the whole time.

Placing her hands on Kei's and Blanc's shoulders, she loudly pronounced: "Faithful students of Lastation High... It is time to face the truth. I am not your headmistress, nor are you my students. In fact, Lastation High truly doesn't even exist." She smiled somberly at the crowd. "Still, I pray that you will allow me to bestow upon you one final duty, my non-students: You must vote for Kei and Blanc here, and bring us all back home!"

Slowly, but surely, applause began to break out in clichéd applause, and flower petals began filling the air. Red smiled at Chian from the crowd, and gave Linda a thumbs up. Nisa gave the dragon girl a glance.

"Hey, Miss... Red? What exactly happens now?" The heroine of justice asked hesitantly.

"Hehe... now we wait for our 'special guests' to arrive..."

The upholder of righteousness raised an eyebrow at Red's words. "Special guests?"

The crowd had tossed a grand amount of flower petals towards the stage, but a certain problem emerged: They had wasted too much on IF and Gino... NO! There isn't enough for Kei and Blanc to win! Oh no, what can we d-

Wait, do you see that? A-A bright light in the back of the gym! There...There's people flying out of it!? What is going on!?"

"W-What the goodness!?" Nepgear cried as she saw people fly overhead. "S-Sis!?"

Indeed, Neptune appeared to have flown over her sister's head. However, a cursory search would have shown that Planeptune's CPU was currently standing pretty close to the young candidate. If that's the case... then...?

"The hell!? Is that... me?" Blanc asked. The couple stared in awe as a bunch of girls came soaring out of the light. One did suspiciously look exactly like Lowee's CPU... Uh oh...

"Ah! Another Noiwey! Awesomesauce! This is perfect!" Neptune cheered upon seeing the flying tsundere. Noire felt like she had to faint, but she held off the feeling. Too much fainting already.

Red leaned close to the heroine of justice. "Look, Nisa, you and Gust are here too." The flatty heroine glimpsed herself in the air, and froze where she stood. This was too much for her to bear.

The peculiar intruders began tossing flower petals onto the stage, reigniting everyone's hope.

"That's it, Noire! Just like we rehearsed!" Bizarro-Neptune cheered as she flung petals about.

"H-Hey! I was the one who taught YOU what to do!" Bizarro-Noire embarrassedly shouted. Some things never change.

Gino looked at IF and shrugged with a grin. "Why, I think we lost, Miss IF... Congratulations." He held out his hand, and the brunette shook it.

"You know, for a weapon made for destroying the world... you're not half bad, Gino." She gleamed. The man beamed bashfully, and then separated from the battle-hardened veteran's side and journeyed out of the public eye. The brunette was now left to watch the flying mysterious girls.

As Nisa remained frozen, Red began to float up off of the ground, and soared towards IF. Gust watched the dragon girl fly away, and shook her head. "Gust just doesn't understand..."

Red landed in front of the now-stunned IF. "R-Red... what is all this?"

"Tee hee... these are you guys from my old world, Iffy-poo. See! There's you!" The flying Bizarro-IF spotted herself, and gave a quick head nod. Our IF nodded back.

The other Neptune and Blanc flew over to investigate the couple on the stage. "Man, Blawny, this you totally scored a total stud-muffin!" Bizarro-Neptune cooed in admiration.

Kei, shocked beyond all else, coughed embarrassedly. "Um... I'm a girl, actually..."

"Hmmm... Oh, wow, I was right all along, Blanc: You do like chicks!"

Bizarro-Blanc studied her other self and Kei. "... Yeah... I can live with that. Good job." She gave herself a thumbs up, and she gave one back rather hesitatingly... Man, this is confusing as all hell to dictate...

"These... these are the versions of us that no longer have a world?" IF questioned, feeling a bit somber; These versions were just like the friends she knew. She didn't like the thought of any of them no longer existing.

"Yep, these are my wifeys... It seems they all managed to make it. Hehe... told you I would handle all this."

The battle-hardened veteran put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Y'know, you really are amazing, Red..."

The dragon girl blushed, and shuffled her feet. "Awe, it's nothing... I live to make my wifeys happy, after all... Ah, here comes 5pb... You better talk with her."

The pop idol ran onto the stage, and glomped the brunette as hard as possible. "Iffy... I love you, Iffy..." She sobbed.

IF smiled, and kissed her cheek. "I love you too, Lyree... Hey, we're almost home; This nightmare's almost over..."

The flower petals piled up, and a clear winner could be declared. "Uh... um... Kei? What's... going on?" Blanc asked again.

"I... I think we won, Blanc..." Kei said, rubbing her temples.

Chian looked at the flying girls, and instantly felt at ease; Sure, she had never been best friends with them, but they had been invaluable companions back in the day. On top of that, they, too, were remnants of the world she could no longer return to.

"Financier... Come on over..." She spoke to the 'class treasurer', who was standing in the back of the stage.

The young woman stared starry-eyed at the majestic scene. "Wow... Hello, Blanc... Good to see you've been taking care of yourself." She greeted Bizarro-Lowee's CPU. Bizarro-Blanc simply grunted in acknowledgement.

Chian smiled at Financier, and took her hand.

"This isn't where we belong; We belong with them. You ready?" The non-headmistress asked kindly. She nodded.

"Y-Yeah... let's go." With that, the two stepped off the stage, and journeyed over to the flying girls. The Bizarro-Noire and Blanc took a hold of the two women, and they began hovering off of the ground. In no time, Chian and Financier joined the ethereal girls.

Red touched IF on the shoulder, and motioned towards the crowd. "Watch, Iffy-poo." Before their very eyes, the students began vanishing, simply poofing out of thin air. "It worked; They're all going home."

IF shook her head in disbelief, and saw one last hopeful sight in the crowd. Hovering in the middle of the gym was the other IF and 5pb, passionately holding each other. Seeing their counterparts staring, the girls waved, and flew off.

"Heh, even in a wiped-out universe, I still love you." The battle-hardened veteran whispered to the pop idol, not caring how corny she sounded. Lyrica smiled, and closed her eyes, taking in the heat of the moment.

Red looked at the happy couple and smiled, a bit somberly, if my expert opinion is anything to go by. "Well... I better be going too, Iffy-poo..."

The brunette looked at the young girl questioningly. "B-But... Where will you go?"

"Oh, I don't know... Wherever life takes me, I guess... I sure hope I can see all my friends again someday..." The girl flashed a bright smile to the sky, but her eyes betrayed her; Tears began to flow down. IF felt her heart turn to mush, and hugged the dragon girl.

"Red... I can't thank you enough for how much you've helped all of us..." She looked the crying dragon girl squarely in the eyes. "I'm not sure how, but... I'll save your world! Somehow, someway, I-I'll think of something. It's only fair, right?"

Red wiped her eyes and smiled. "...Thank you, wifey... It means a lot to hear you say that..." She turned to face the now nearly empty gymnasium... Wait, something's even happening to the room! The walls are coming down!

Underling smirked at everything going on before her. She wasn't charmed by the beauty of it, but was instead amazed at the absurdity of the whole situation. She tapped the new Hoshi winners on the shoulders. "Hey, uh, so you guys won. I guess... celebrate, or... some shit. Whatever the hell you two do...?" Linda figured that Blanc and Kei needed to regain their memories still, but had no clue how to restore them.

Blanc looked at Kei and shrugged. "So much for having no chance to win, huh?"

The class president chuckled. "To be fair, we needed otherworldly spirits and an insane official to win. Under any other conditions, we would have been destroyed by the other combatants."

Blanc stared at Kei for a moment. "Y'know, when you speak all professional, you're kinda cute." With that, the two pulled each other in to quite a surprising kiss. After five seconds, however, the two girls' eyes widened in disbelief. Oh dear... Why, I do believe they regained their memories at the most inopportune moment!

"Ah! Shit, what the hell are you doing!?" Lowee's CPU shouted, her cheeks turning a deep crimson. She then leaned her head in close to Kei's ear and whispered something. Oh, come on, tell us what she said!

Lastation's oracle closed her eyes in embarrassment. "I-I didn't do anything! You're the one who started it!" She quietly chimed back. Hmm, Kei's lost her composure. Interesting...

Underling couldn't believe her eyes; She hadn't expected a reaction like that. "Damn, is everyone turning into a pervert?"

Red closed her eyes happily, knowing her job was complete. The school gym was quickly coming apart, revealing... the game expo! Wow... is this world really so unoriginal that it required the use of a recolored set? "Goodbye, Iffy, and good luck... I hope we'll meet again..." The girl lifted off of the ground, and hovered towards the light at the far end of the room.

"Red!" IF called, not yet ready to see her go. However, her calls went unheeded; The dragon girl had left the building...

Meanwhile, a change was occuring within the rest of our heroines not on the stage. "Ohmigosh! Compa totally disappeared! Like, for reals!" Neptune screamed, hopping to-and-fro frantically.

"W-What? Is that a good thing!?" Noire stammered, not sure how to feel.

"Uh, big sis... the other two are gone, too..." Uni said in a hesitant manner. Indeed, Lady Vert and Chika had vanished as well.

"Goodness... Are we going to disappear too!?" Nepgear cried. She immediately clung onto the little tsundere. "I-I won't let you disappear, Uni!"

Gust sighed. "Uh, guys... Gust thinks that perhaps they went back home? We ARE still at the expo, but... It looks to be only a shell... This is still part of illusion!"

"Hmm, so what you are saying, my plucky little sidekick, is that we are all supposed to vanish from this version of the game expo and reawaken in the real one!?" Nisa heroically made clear to us in the audience.

"Um, Gust thought that part was obvious by now! And for the last time: Gust is not sidekick! Gust is alchemist! Alchemist!" Poor little girl.

"W-Well, if we have to vanish, then we have to vanish, I guess..." Noire said, feeling a little queasy. "We've been through worse... right?"

"Oh, totals! I mean, you remember the time when I just so happened to stumble into-" Neptune began, but instantly stopped.

"N-Neptune!? Neptune, where'd you go!?" Noire snapped, her lover now unaccounted for.

One by one, the girls on the ground began disappearing, until only Nisa and Gust were left. "No! Not Nepgear too! Curse you, evil vanishing illusion... thingy!" The heroine of Justice shouted with her fists in the air. Gust sighed.

"Only a matter of time before we go back, too..." Gust nonchalantly remarked.

Back on the stage, Linda suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. "Ugh... The hell? I didn't eat anything wrong, did I? W-What's happening to me...?" Underling collapsed to the floor. IF noticed this, and ran over to her former(?) enemy.

"Hey, Underling! What's going on? You okay?" The brunette called, shaking the fallen ASIC member. Lyrica looked on with worry, though she still wasn't quite sure why Underling was here. It sucks not being caught up, you know? Good thing she had no clue that she had knocked her unconscious earlier.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to shake; The stage was collapsing! "Shit, shit, shit! Lyree, help me lift her up!"

"Y-Yeah! Got it!" 5pb ran over and helped the battle-hardened veteran pick Linda up. Before they could leap off, though, another massive shake knocked them both down.

"Ugh... dammit... Lyree, you need to get off, now!" IF shouted as the stage grew ever closer to destruction.

"W-What!? No, I'm not leaving you behind! I've... heard a lot of stories that don't end well after scenes like this..." 5pb sobbed.

The stage suddenly split in half, and the three girls began sliding down into a deep hole in the ground. My word! How the hell does something like this even happen!?

At the bottom of the hole was yet another bright light... You don't suppose that's a passageway to another world, do you?

IF began slipping, and she held onto Underling with one hand. "F-Fivey! Save yourself... I love you!" Before the pop idol could retort, the brunette mustered enough strength into her free arm, and lunged it towards her love. Lyrica gasped as she was knocked away, tumbling safely off the stage.

That saving throw proved to be the brunette's undoing. The arm that collided with 5pb had been the only thing stopping her and Underling from falling into the strange light. Now, she fell, deep into the abyss...

IF always had dreams of becoming a legend, her tales being passed down from generation to generation. Now, she felt she was closer to that goal; She had heroically given her life for the one she loved. Sure, she was taking Linda down with her, but at the end of the day, they'd probably be considered martyrs. Surely, she felt happy right now...

'Hmm... It's always been my dream to give my life for my friends, but... why don't I feel fulfilled? Heh... I don't really want this, do I? Man, IF, you're really just a scared little girl trying to play the tough guy. You've really done it this time...'

Back with the remnants of our heroines...

"Oh my...! Gust, the stage is falling right into the deepest crevices of Gamindustri itself! Poor IF, 5pb, and Underling are going to be sucked right in! I... I must save them!" Nisa began running off, but a hand lightly grabbed ahold of her arm. "G-Gust? W-What are you doing? I need to rescue them!"

The alchemist shook her head. "Gust can't let you go, Nisa; It's much too dangerous!" The girl's face displayed an emotion that the heroine had never seen come from her sidekick before. "Gust can't lose you..."

Nisa smiled softly, hoping to dispel the young girl's nerves. "Why, never fear, my faithful sidekick! I am a true heroine of justice, and when someone is in danger, I shan't fail! Now, you wait right here; I will return with our comrades!" The upholder of righteousness leapt into action.

Gust puffed out her cheek and folded her arms. "Nisa! ... Stupid bumpkins..." She oddly whispered. Aw, she truly does care for the heroine!

Nisa made it to the stage, and inadvertantly caught the falling 5pb. "Ah... Thank you, Nisa... Please, IF and Underling are still in there!" Lyrica called frantically. She was crying again.

"Ah... Do not worry, 5pb! I will not let you down!" Gamindustri's heroine of justice hopped up to the split in the stage (seriously, how the hell can a stage physically break in half like that ship in that famous movie?), and looked into the deep hole. "IF! UNDERLING! I SHALL SAVE YOU!"

Perhaps without really thinking, Nisa lunged right into the hole in the stage, and fell after the two women. She caught up to them due to her fancy air maneuvering, and grabbed them both close.

'Aha! I got them... Oh dear... I, uh, shoulda really planned a way out of here...' The heroine thought. IF looked at her in disbelief, but didn't say a word; Hell, I don't even think you can speak when falling like this! Of course, I've never tried...

Underling slowly opened her eyes and saw the light getting closer. Strangely enough, the pain had subsided. However, that was the least of her problems right now.

'Shit... Oh, I hope this doesn't kill us... I'm comin', Nepgeo...' One last thought, and then...

... A flash. Possible the brightest I've ever seen...

... Oh dear... this is just like what happened after Linda took my seat in the last installment!

I can't see anything! The light... it's so beautiful... No! Can't let it... consume... me...

...

...

...

... Ha! I'm still conscious, baby! Thought I was a goner, didn't you? Well, no, I'm in control, now and foreve-

Wait... do you hear that? A voice... What the...? Where's it coming from?

So... familiar... Yes! I know that voice... Oh, how could I ever forget... HER!?...

It's getting... louder?

* * *

...

**Chapter 0: Shoujo Meiro de Tsukamaete**

...NO! ...Damn it all...

... Fools...

Ugh... Those imbeciles... they actually think they've defeated me? Ha! I am the one truth of this world; They are but mere lies plaguing Gamindustri. Soon, their rule will come to an end, like all those before them. Just as with mere mortals, their time in this world will draw to a close. I, however, will never, and can never, die. I am the one constant in this ever-changing world.

Still, to suffer a defeat to the likes of those pathetic goddesses... How could I fall to such lows? Hmm... perhaps ASIC isn't enough. Even though they did manage to provide for me a vessel in which to travel Gamindustri, their support wasn't enough. Their very souls became infused back with me, and it wasn't enough.

Could the power provided by the support of pirated software not be enough? I had thought all along that I would reign supreme once I shifted all of Gamindustri's shares unto myself. By causing those goddesses' support to wane, their strength would vanish, and I would claim my rightful spot as the emperor of all the land!

Was I wrong? All this time, was I merely pursuing a baseless lie? Hm... If that's the case, then I must find some other source of support. If pirated software could not win over any fans, then what can?

...

...Here, in this endless abyss, time has no meaning. Those thoughts you just read may have occurred to me moments after my defeat, or years after; I have no complete way of knowing. What I do know, though, is that all is not yet lost. Not only does time not matter here, but neither do boundaries between worlds.

It is from my travels throughout various lands quite alien to my own that I have concocted a brilliant scheme. Yes, I am quite confident that I can garner enough support to make me invincible. And it all involves the written word...

My revelation came from quite an unexpected source, to say the least. It was the very first realm I shifted into after those insufferable harlots destroyed my latest physical incarnation...

**Book i: Livin' Thing**

Looking before me, I came across a crowded scene in which two ancient warriors kneeled before men of power. The two lowly men had spears held against their necks; Surely they were prisoners of war.

"Truly the lout is not to be trusted!" said Lu Bu, looking at Liu Bei.

"Strangle and expose!" ordered Cao Cao.

Those were but a few lines I could pick out from wherever it was I was standing. I recognized the scene as one from the historical Three Kingdoms Era, commonly seen in some video game franchise. You learn quite a few things being a dethroned goddess...

I wondered why I was seeing this play out, when something unexpected happened...

"Lu Bu, O fool! Death is but death, and why are you scared at it?"

Everyone turned to look: The guards were hustling Zhang Liao to the place of judgement. Cao Cao... did not order Lu Bu's execution.

"Hold it, guards... Let the dog stand." Cao Cao announced firmly, seemingly from nowhere. Liu Bei's eyes widened in surprise.

The guards were also quite taken aback, but they did as the man asked. Lu Bu pushed the men aside and stared daggers at his arch-rival. "What is with this change of heart, Lord Cao Cao? Have you finally accepted that I can easily replace each and every one of the officers under your control?"

Cao Cao sneered. "Lu Bu, you have been a thorn in my side for years. I would be happy to see you perish before me, but a simple execution can not satisfy my hunger. No, we must face each other one last time..."

"So, you wish to fight the mighty Lu Bu in one-on-one combat? Have you finally gone senile, old man?"

Liu Bei nodded at the mighty warrior's words. "Indeed, Lord Cao Cao, your skills in battle can not possibly match Lu Bu's."

Cao Cao simply smirked. "It is not a duel I desire. No, it is something much more..." The Wei ruler grabbed his standard garb, and instantly flung it off his body. Beneath it all was... disco clothing? "Face me, Lu Bu, in the dance-off of the millennium."

Everyone present gasped in shock. Even I shall admit that I, too, was utterly perturbed.

"Wha-What is the meaning of this!?" Lu Bu shouted in intense anger. Was he being made a fool of? However, his fellow captive Zhang Liao spoke up.

"Lu Bu, this is your one chance to keep your life with your honor intact. If you decline, then you must be executed."

The fierce warrior begrudgingly nodded in understanding. This was going to suck, but he knew what he had to do. "I accept your challenge, Lord Cao Cao. Don't even think you can defeat me; Lady Diaochan has taught me how to dance quite soundly."

"Then I shall begin. Liu Bei, clear the grounds!" The Shu leader nodded hesitantly, then shooed away the random guards. The Hero of Chaos launched his left hand towards the sky, and held the pose for a moment. Lu Bu's brows furrowed.

What ensued was a sight I'm afraid I can't possibly begin to describe. The Wei ruler pulled off dance moves that wouldn't be invented for approximately 1800 years. When it was Lu Bu's turn, he also performed an anachronism of movements. When the dust settled... well, that's not the point of this diatribe. Just know that I was stunned by the events before me, by the utter disregard of the source material.

Heh... But without that insulting step on history, I most likely would not have formulated my plan. You see, what I witnessed was the first in a long line of scenes from things called fan fictions. I found that there are many people out there who dedicate their time to crafting scenes for the characters they read about or watch on TV. Fan fictions allow faithful viewers of just about anything to continue or expand upon a story, so as to gratify themselves.

However, I was only beginning to grasp the concept. The next several scenes really made it all clear...

**Book ii: Turn to Stone**

Two girls, both apparently teenagers, were clumped together behind a pillar in some strange hall. They appeared to be dressed in scant military outfits, and were the only two souls present... Well, apart from my soul, that is.

"M-Makoto! W-W-What are you doing!?" The blond girl squealed in surprise. Her hips were being clasped tightly by the brown-haired girl behind her... Hm, that girl has a squirrel tail... ok, I've seen weirder things. Hell, I am a weirder thing.

"C'mon, Noel... You need to unwind every once in a while..." Her hands wandered slightly higher, grazing over Noel's stomach. "It's been quite some time since we last got some privacy. Might as well relax before the next big mission..."

Her hands lightly teased the blond girl's seemingly nonexistent chest. "Waah! S-Stop it! Tha-That's private!" Despite her protests, Makoto did not stop. After some time, her administrations shifted from the innocent girl's chest to her lower regions. How predictable.

"Ah- Makoto! No!"

"Hey, it's all right... I just want to show you my true feelings, Noel..." By now, the blond girl's skirted uniform was hiked up, showing off quite a racy scene.

"D-D-D-Don't do that! Y-You know I don't wea-"

"I know; That's what makes this so exciting~" With that, the squirrel-girl's hands disappeared beneath the blond girl's skirt, causing her to yelp even louder. Before I could firmly grasp the peculiarity and pervertedness of the scene before me, my surroundings shifted once again.

**Book iii: Strange Magic**

This time, I was in a bar. This scene seemed to also involve two girls. However, a change began to overtake me...

...

Hmm, what's this peculiar sensation?

... Ah, I see. I am becoming more attuned to this realm of fan fictions. I can actually sense the words that make this all real. Unlike the last few scenes, I now understand the context of what is about to play out.

These two young women were named Cecilia (everyone calls her Ceci) and Melvia (Mel). Seems today is the day Ceci becomes of age. To celebrate, the two friends went to the local tavern to taste their first beer. To top it off, the owner of the establishment was paying for it all.

...That would be a very bad idea.

Ceci gulped down yet another pitcher of beer, and belched quite un-ladylike. Mel smiled nervously. "Oookay, Ceci, I think you've had enough... Let's bring you back home..."

The innocent girl, now extremely drunk, refused to budge. "No waysch, Mels... I can take a little moresch... Hit me up, Gerhard!" The bartender sighed and begrudgingly poured another glass. It joined the fifteen empty pitchers scattered across the table.

Mel sighed, knowing she couldn't win. Hopefully, Ceci would pass out soon, instead of drinking any more.

The girl finished her drink and sighed in relief. Suddenly, she turned her head to her best friend. "I'm worried aboutst Totori, Mel."

Melvia tilted her head in confusion. "W-what do you mean? This isn't about her adventuring, right?"

The drunk girl shook her head. "No, no... it's about her teacher. I thinksh she may be a bad influenth on her..."

Mel blinked several times. Where was this coming from? "Rorona? Sure, she's a ditz, but I don't think there's a single bad bone in her body."

Ceci shook her head once again. "You don't understand... Here, lithen to what I thaw the other day..."

Another strange sensation overcame me. Ah, this must be what going into a flashback feels like.

_Ceci casually walked into her younger sister's room, about to make the bed. However, the scene before her froze her in her tracks._

_Sprawled out on Totori's bed were two women, one of whom was rather short. The two girls were too busy kissing to notice the intruder._

_'What the heck is this!?' Cecilia screamed in her head. She sprinted out of the room, many inappropriate thoughts flooding her mind._

_"C-Cory... What are we doing?" Rorona gasped for air. The short girl, Cordelia, blushed._

_"Wh-What the hell's with that question all of a sudden!?" Embarrassed, she could only kiss her best friend again. Rorona, still a bit perplexed, allowed herself to get into the act._

_Unbeknownst to the new couple, not only had Cecilia discovered what they were up to, but so did another figure standing right outside the house._

_"Waah!? Why is Teacher and Cordelia...? Wow... I had no idea..." Rorona's student, Totori, slowly pulled herself from the window, and thought about what she had just witnessed. Was it normal for girls to have feelings for other girls?_

_...So, she wasn't that strange after all..._

_Totori came to some epiphany in her head, and went down to the town. Meanwhile, Ceci still was flustered over what she witnessed in her sister's bedroom. Could a woman like that really be trusted to take care of Totori? What if Rorona's actions influenced her?_

_If that happened, the young, innocent Totori would become not so pure. She would be one step closer to adulthood. Her childhood would be a thing of the past. It was enough to make Ceci cry._

_Unfortunately for her older sister, Totori had gained inspiration from Rorona's and Cory's newly sparked relationship. The young girl spotted her friend, and waved frantically._

_"Mimi! Mimi!" She called. A girl about the same age as her looked up, and sighed. She didn't approve of anyone addressing her so casually, but she didn't raise a fuss._

_"What is it, Totori? And don't yell so loud."_

_The alchemist shifted her head from side to side frantically, feeling her courage waver. However, she overcame her uneasiness, and nodded._

_Mimi grew even more confused, and was about to say something, when Totori's lips came crashing into her own. Too stunned to react, the girl just stood there._

_After a moment, the two girls separated, both wearing potent flushed cheeks._

_"W-W-W-W-What was that!? Why'd you...?" Mimi turned away, too embarrassed to face the alchemist._

_Totori smiled at the girl. "You're my best friend, Mimi. Never forget that."_

_"N-Now you're saying embarrassing things!" And such, two possible romances bloomed that fateful day..._

Now, this is what the drunken Ceci intended to tell Melvia about. However, those words did not come out exactly as planned...

"And thensh the Puni began dancsching down the riffer. And tats why I never allow eicheloa in the house..." She nodded contently, mentally patting herself on the back.

Melvia sighed even louder. "Gee, that's great... Man, what am I gonna do with you?" Ceci ordered yet another drink, and no end was in sight. There, though, is where I was wrung out from that tale.

I recalled what I had seen so far. Fan fictions were indeed powerful creations. Both of those vignettes were merely viewer-made stories, not necessarily reflecting the actual story of the source material. In a way, one could think of them as alternate realities in which all the unfulfilled wishes become the truth. Hm, and indeed, many people flock to read these constructions. So many people...

Heh heh... I now had a goal to strive towards. With so many followers of these stories comes a great potential for power. Perhaps their energy could exceed those of my pirated creations...

However, I still had not seen enough. The seeds were growing, but I still needed to determine what they could blossom into. A few lackluster scenes came before me for quite some time, but eventually, the thought-provoking ones came back...

**Book iv: Telephone Line**

Once more, I was fed all the exposition leading up to the scene in question. This vignette dealt with a high-school student with purple hair working out her emotions...

Ugh, purple hair... such a disgusting color. Simply revolting. Pity I had to have it in a few of my iterations...

"Oh crap... why won't she answer?" Kagami Hiiragi sighed in exasperation. Earlier that day, she had gotten into a bit of a fight with one of her best friends. Sure, they had their conflicts on practically a daily basis, but perhaps she went too far today.

"Konata... Damn it, why am I so worked up over this? Grr..." Konata Izumi was a blue-haired ditzy otaku who never took responsibility for herself, and Kagami would always be quick to remind her of this fact. However, beneath her harsh words, the purple-haired twin-tailed girl deeply cared for her... not that she'd ever tell anybody that.

For the past few hours, she had been dialing the number to the ditz's house, praying that she'd answer. Alas, the miracle didn't happen.

Feeling drained with worry, Kagami resolved to try the number one last time. If this didn't succeed, then she would have to give up. She dialed the number one last time, and held her breath. Time seemed to stop as the ringing slowly droned in her ear. Would her last hope be vanquished?

No, it would not, for at the last possible moment, the other end of the line picked up. "Hello, Konata here. Who's calling?"

Despite here very best attempts, Kagami broke down into tears. "Oh, thank God you're there! I'm sorry Konata! Please find it in your heart to forgive me!" Seems the girl was so worked up that she spilled everything that was on her mind. People really need to watch out for that...

Konata smiled her trademark cat grin. "What are you apologizing for, Kagami? The tsundere's never supposed to break that easily. You need to give me the silent treatment, or something."

Kagami wiped her tears. "S-Stop using that term. I'm not a tsundere!"

"Now there's the Kagami I know!"

The tsundere smiled to herself, finally calming down. "Sorry about that... I don't know what's wrong with me; I've probably been watching too many of those sappy films Tsukasa likes."

"Hey, it's alright, Kagami. To tell you the truth, I completely forgot what we were fighting about earlier anyways."

"Wha-What!? You're really hopeless if you can't even remember that. It was because..." But Kagami couldn't recall what had happened either. In her desperation, she had completely forgot.

"Ha, check and mate, Kagami-chan... Hey, no matter what it was, I could never stay mad at you. You're my best friend, after all." The boke spoke with a sincerity that was quite rare.

Kagami was stunned by the tenderness of her voice. That, along with her recoiling mind, possibly is what caused her to blurt this next statement out: "I love you..."

In an instant, the tsundere realized what she had said, and she froze, mentally slapping herself. An awkward silence persisted for a good while.

Finally, a response arrived. "I love you too." With that, the other end of the line hung up, leaving Kagami to contemplate what had just happened. Had she just revealed her feelings to Konata, and simultaneously learned that the feelings were mutual.

"T-This is too much... I guess I'll see her again tomorrow... n-not that I'm looking forward to it, or anything!" There's a line no one's ever heard before.

Meanwhile, Konata hung up the phone and grinned. "Kagami flag is officially triggered!"

...  
Hm, so the source material doesn't require any romance on the forefront at all... Yet, someone will still pair the characters together. The original plot doesn't matter in the end; Anyone can write a story completely disregarding everything that happened. Romantic plots are quite popular, indeed...

And quite powerful...

This journey was nearing its influential end. The next two stories were no doubt handed to me by fate itself...

**Book v: Can't Get It Out Of My Head**

Aoi Nagisa: A goddess walking the very Earth that mortals roam. Simply beholding her beauty could bring even the most strong-willed to their knees.

Suzumi Tamao knew this all too well. For you see, Miss Tamao had fallen in love with the transfer student, yet she was not the only one.

_Nagisa-chan... Damn that Shizuma... Why can't it be me instead?_

Love had hit Tamao hard, yet Nagisa had never responded accordingly to her shows of affection. No; Instead, from her first day at Astraea Hill, Nagisa's heart had been stolen by the Etoile.

_How was I ever supposed to compete with her? I'm not good enough for someone as perfect as Nagisa-chan. I should have given up from the start..._

_But, I couldn't forget her if I tried. She's all I ever think about... I love her so much. She's not just an angel; she's a goddess, sent down from Heaven itself._

The past few nights had been hell on Tamao. Shizuma had pronounced her love for Aoi-chan, and the two had not been seen for quite a few nights. All types of scenarios played through her head, and she hated each and every one of them.

_Still... Nagisa is happy now... Her happiness is all that matters to me..._

No matter how many times she told herself that, the pain just wouldn't go away.

All Tamao could do on this night was drift off to sleep. Maybe her dreams would clear her conscience.

Suddenly, she felt somebody slip in the bed beside her. Suzumi worriedly turned her head, and gasped.

"N-Nagisa-chan!?" Indeed. Laying next to her was the very object of her affections.

"Hey, Tamao-chan... May I sleep with you tonight? It's kind of cold in here..."

"O-Of course! Here..." Tamao draped her arms around Nagisa. "...Now we can share our warmth."

As Tamao held Aoi-chan, all her worries dissipated in an instance. There could be no greater joy than being this close to her love.

Nagisa smiled, but cast her eyes downward. "Hey, Tamao-chan..."

"Yeah, Nagisa?"

"...Do you like me?" Quite an unusual question from the girl. Suzumi was taken aback for a moment, unsure of what to say. However, she eventually smiled brightly.

"I do, Nagisa-chan... I really care for you. I want to always be there for you." A bit forward, but the girl couldn't help herself.

Aoi-chan blushed, and looked into Tamao's eyes. "But why me, Tamao-chan? I'm so plain... every other girl in this school is much more special than I can ever be..."

"Don't say that! Nagisa, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. You're cute, charming, so innocent... I can't help but fall in love with you."

"Tamao-chan..." Before either of them knew what they were doing, they slowly drew their lips together, becoming one.

_Is this right? What about Shizuma-sama?_

Tamao slowly ended the kiss, and began to speak. "Nagisa... What about Shizuma? Don't... you love her?" Her heart dreaded the answer.

However, Nagisa smiled. "I'm not lying when I say that I did... but Shizuma isn't the one for me..." The girl looked somewhat sad.

_What happened between you two?_

Before Tamao could respond, Nagisa continued. "...But, I've been thinking over things, and I realize how... special you are to me, Tamao-chan. You always were willing to protect me, even though I don't deserve it... Thank you."

Tamao stared lovingly into the goddess' eyes. "I love you, Nagisa."

"...I love you, Tamao..." With that, the two girls once again joined together as one.

_I'm so happy... But, wait... could this actually be happening? What if... what if this is all a dream? I could have fallen asleep without realizing. I have been exhausted these past few days..._

The two broke apart for air, and they pressed as close together as possible. "Tamao-chan~" Nagisa sensually whispered in her ear.

_...You know, who cares? If this is a dream, then so what? I'm gonna enjoy myself either way. And if this is really all just a dream... then I'll just never wake up. Simple as that..._

Tamao pulled Nagisa in for an even stronger kiss. Soon enough, the rustling of scattered clothing could be heard as nightgowns were discarded to the floor...

Heh, so to get even more supporters of a fan fiction, you need to add in a little angst for conflict, and some obscure deus ex machina to resolve the mess you made. You need to wrench readers' heartstrings. Add in an underdog couple from the original source, and you have fan-made gold. So many supporters... so much power...

**Book Interlude: Evil Woman**

For the sake of sanity, I will not recount in full detail the final scene I witnessed. However, this fan fiction was the deciding factor for me; After witnessing it, a plan fell into place in my mind. I realized exactly what I could accomplish...

The scene in question was really much more than that; It was a trilogy of _horrid_ fan fictions. The title's not important; It had something to do with Washing some Guru, or something. The point is, it was a series of three horrible fan fictions, written by an author who obviously had no sense of prose or structure. It took the source material and shattered it within the very first sentence.

However, it too had romance laden throughout. In the end, an original character, no doubt an author-insert, was paired up with a character from the cartoon the story was based on. Yes; Out of nowhere, a plain brown-haired young man, who had no place in that universe, got together with an existing girl.

What gall! What tenacity! What inspiration!

I learned that day that fan fictions can be absolutely anything. If you want to pair two characters up with each other, who's going to stop you? Better yet, if you want to pair a character up with an original creation that represents you, go right ahead; No one can halt you.

From all of those scenes I witnessed, from the dance-off, to the cutesy antics, to the despairing lovers, I learned one key fact: It's all just a game. With one story, you could render everything pointless. You could do whatever the hell you desire with the characters, no matter how nonsensical it may all be.

In the end, it's all a game... Love is just a game. With a press of a finger, you could make anybody fall in love with each other.

Heh heh heh... I now knew how to go about with my revival. Of course, it would take time. Also, I knew I would be unable to simply control all of their minds.

However, if I could cleverly 'manipulate' their free will, then all would fall into place...

I would need an army. But before that, I would need a script...

* * *

**INTERMISSION: The Four Felons**

... Huh? Is it over...? ...I don't hear her voice anymore.

...What in the name of Gamindustri was all that?

*sigh*... No time to fret on that, I guess. Right now, we must determine where this scene is taking place...

Hm... Ah! Why, I believe I see Linda over there! She... She's moving! They survived! Let's go see what she's doing!

Underling sat up, clutching her head for dear life. "Man, that sucked somethin' fierce... Huh? Where the hell is this?"

The ASIC member looked around, and found herself in... well, nothing. The entire area was a white abyss of emptiness.

However, she saw that she was not the only one there. "Hey, flatty! Wake up, you idiot!" She ran over to the downed Nisa, and shook her awake.

"Hfuh? Wh... Nisa sweepy~" The heroine muttered. Linda slapped her as hard as she could, propelling her awake. "Ah! What happened!"

Underling sighed, and pulled the girl to her feet. "Guess we lived... Barely, though..." She rubbed her shoulders, which were brutally sore. "Hey, I know you're not the brightest bulb, but... you have any clue where the hell we are?"

Nisa looked around, and nodded; She had been in a similar place before. "Hm... Why, yes, I suppose that I do! This place is just like the place where I met Narrator! Wait, then that means..." The heroine remembered her earlier revelation, and began to run off in blind rage. Narrator had tricked her, hadn't he?

"W-Wait! Where the hell d'you think you're going!?" Linda prepared to run after the heroine. "And what kinda name is Narrator?" She started running, but saw someone else down the opposite way.

"Wh-Who's there?" Linda called as she slowly got a better look at the other person. It was a kneeling girl... A girl with purple hair, and some funky necklace. "N-No way... Nepgeo!?"

The ASIC member ran through the nothingness, until she finally came to the purple-haired imposter. "N-Nepgeo... I'm here. Are... you okay?"

Meanwhile, Nisa, in her blind fury, failed to notice Miss IF on the ground. She tripped right over the brunette, and came crashing down. "OW! Crap, that stung... Hey, watch where you're goin'!" IF shouted.

The heroine of justice scratched her head in embarrassment. "S-Sorry, IF... I got a little too carried away..." The two girls helped each other up. "Anyways... I'm looking for the creep that may have caused this entire calamity. Want to help me look?"

The battle-hardened veteran thought a moment, then shrugged. "Sure, why not; I'm still surprised I'm not dead. Could use a little fetch quest to wake me up... So, who's this creep we're lookin' for?"

"He called himself Narrator. He sent me to investigate a secret Avenir facility that was going to use the game expo for some evil deed. However, I believe that was all a set-up! He made me press a button to shut down their plans, but... that button must have unleashed the illusion we just experienced."

"Hm... makes just as much sense as anything else lately, I suppose. So, why do you think he's here?"

"Why, I was brought to a similar place as this a couple of days ago... Well, I think it was a couple of days ago... Anyways, I met him in a place like this."

IF simply nodded, too tired to ask for any more explanation. The two continued running on, not sure how to gauge how much distance they'd covered already...

"Nepgeo! Can you hear me!?" Linda asked, her voice rising to an unusual level. The purple-haired imposter was acting strange. Add this peculiar locale to the mix, and you have one terrifying situation. After a lot of provocation, though, the girl turned her head.

"...Lin...da...?" Nepgeo breathed, her voice light. Underling grew more worried instantly; The usually bright and cheerful flirt was now like an empty shell. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, and... it appeared as if she had been crying.

Hm... For lack of a proper analogy, I'll simply say that she looks like someone who just found out that her pet died, and then had someone continuously joke about that fact. Yeah... that's what I'm goin' with...

"That's right, Nepgeo, it's me... I'm back! Are... Were you crying?"

The purple-haired imposter looked towards the ground and sniffled. "D-Don't look at me, Lindy! I'm... I'm hideous!"

Underling was certainly taken aback. I mean, what kinda nickname is 'Lindy' anywa... Oh, wait, she was surprised at the outburst. Right...

"You... How could you say that? There's no way you're hideous! What's gotten into you?" The ASIC member couldn't take it anymore; She wrapped her arms around the girl tightly. However, the dispirited girl tried to break away.

"No, Linda... I'm dangerous. Please... leave me here..."

"Wha...? N-No! I... I could never do that!..."

"Heh heh heh... such a touching moment... A shame that it can only end in burning flame..." A familiar voice sounded through the air.

"Wha...? Oh, come on! Who's spyin' on us now? Show yourself!"

...

Right as Nisa and IF were ready to give up, they spotted a figure in the distance. The heroine of justice would recognize that full-body cloak anywhere.

"Narrator! Stay right where you are!" She called, and ran even faster now. IF sighed, clearly exhausted, and followed her.

Sure enough, the figure was indeed Narrator. The enigmatic man turned his shrouded head towards the two girls. "Ah, why, hello again, Nisa... Hm, and Miss IF. What is it that ails you, young children?"

Nisa wasn't having any more of his crap. "You! You set me up, didn't you!? That button triggered this whole calamity, correct? And you had the gall to use me! ...You wanted to soil these heroic hands with the dirt of injustice!"

IF watched the cloaked figure move his shrouded hand up to his shrouded chin. "...Well, I suppose I have nothing to hide anymore; That dragon sent this whole plan down the shitter anyways... To answer you're question, yes, I did use you for our own personal gain. And you were marvelous, if I may say so..." Ha! I always knew there was something fishy about this guy!

Nisa clenched her fists, and made a snarling noise. IF continued watching, wondering just what the hell was going to happen. I think we're all in that same boat, IF...

The man continued. "You see, I needed you to unleash our 'Operational Companions' at precisely the right moment; We needed to gather enough energy, you see. When that time came, you did precisely what we had hoped. I really must thank you..."

"You... fiend!" Nisa was more enraged than ever before.

The brunette spitefully raised her hand, as if she was in class. "Hey, another question, ya creep: What the hell are you talking about?"

Narrator chuckled. "It's rather simple, actually: By ripping a seam in the major relationships of your world, we were able to extract enough energy to power up our own replacement world; One that would supply a lot more energy for 'The Almighty.' Heh... why, even I impress me sometimes..." The girls stared at the man, unsure what to think. It seemed like he was pulling off the whole "Villain reveals the entire evil plan to the heroes for no good reason" cliché, but nothing he said made much sense, so it was indecipherable. "Hey, I know what would be interesting: Let's go check on the two people who were indispensable to this plan!" The cloaked man spoke in such a mocking tone... Ugh, it makes my... skin... crawl...

In a flash, IF and Nisa were now before two people... Linda and Nepgeo?

"H-Holy Crap! W-W-W-Where the hell'd you guys come from!?" Underling shouted. She still held the despondent Nepgeo close.

"U-Underling!? Oh, um... sorry about leaving you behind." The heroine bashfully apologised. IF cocked her head to the side.

"Why'd that Narrator guy bring us to Underling?" The brunette wondered.

Narrator chuckled, startling IF to high-heaven. "Ha, Miss IF, surely you suspect! Why, Linda provided the final push we needed to unleash our plan! Or... at least her 'girlfriend' did..."

As IF pondered the enigma's words, Nisa's eyes widened, just as they did at the fake gym... What's wrong with her?

The heroine looked to Linda, and spoke. "U-Underling! Wh...What's your real name?"

The ASIC member cocked an eyebrow, and raised her head up from the defeated imposter. "What, so now you finally give a shit what my name is? Ugh... man, that took awhile... Well, if you really wanna know, it's Linda... But y'know what? Don't call me that. I'd really prefer if you didn't talk to me at all, but if it really tickles your fancy, just stick with Underling..."

Nisa stared in fright at the ASIC member. "Your name really is... Linda? Oh... oh no..."

"Wh-What? Yeah, it's a shitty name, but so is yours, so..."

"No, Underling; Your dumb name is not what bothers me! It's..." The heroine remembered her time in the chamber of tubes again. Most of the tubes had the names of her comrades and some brown-haired young men, but there was one tube that was quite peculiar...

One tube had a scratched-out slot where the young man's name should have been, and the name linked with that one was...

Linda...

"Underling... Your name was on one of those empty tubes... One of those evil young men should already be looking for you! Has... one appeared yet?"

"What? I... I haven't met no stinkin' guy who had the hots for me yet. You sure you didn't read it wrong?" Linda casually disregarded the heroine's words, then went back to consoling the purple-haired imposter.

Narrator laughed out loud, once again startling the brunette. "Ah... So you did see that? I was beginning to think that you overlooked that ace in the hole... Hm, yes, it is true one of our prototypes went missing a few months ago... I personally never got a good look at them, but rumor has it that they weren't like the rest. No... That one creation could have looked like anybody..." The man laughed again.

Nisa felt ill, and glared at the cloaked man. Who was this man, and why was he acting so smug right now? His whole vile plan was a failure, right?

Linda ignored everything Narrator said, but the girl in her arms started sobbing. "H-Hey! Please don't cry! L-Linda's here..." Comfort was not one of Underling's strong suits... Hell, what is one of her strong suits?

"L...Linda... Please, leave me here..." Nepgeo cried. Man, what is causing her such grief?

Although every part of Narrator is concealed, I can't help but think that the smug asshole is smiling. What a creep. Ugh, listen to his laugh...

"Why, a clone that premature could theoretically spend the rest of its life not knowing what it truly is. It could live a relatively normal life, adapting to the strange new world in a matter of days. A couple of manufactured memories here and there, and they'll seriously think that they have been normal humans the entire time. Sad, isn't it? Oh dear, I seriously hope that the escapee is all right. Why, if that creation were to ever discover the truth after this long," Narrator turned his head to stare directly at Underling, "they could absolutely lose their mind."

"Wha...? Stop bein' so cryptic, ya bastard! Just what are you getting at?" Linda screamed, pulling Nepgeo closer.

"Me, being cryptic? Why, I'm hurt, Linda. I'm merely putting forth some realistic possibilities that you should be aware of. I certainly don't wish for any harm to fall upon you..."

IF thought long and hard about all she had heard, and looked at the ASIC member holding the purple-haired imposter for dear life. A sudden idea popped up in her head, and she felt a strange sadness overtake her. "Underling... I think I know what this guy is getting at... But whatever you do, don't fall for it. That's exactly what he wants!"

Linda shot Iffy a potent glare. "What the hell's that supposed to mean!? I... I have no clue what any of you guys are babblin' about! Just... shut up, all of you! You're... You're upsetting Nepgeo..." She lightly stroked the girl's hair.

"Aw, I do apologize, Linda. I am merely looking out for your safety, is all. Why, that mysterious clone could be dangerous, you know... And, since it's an earlier prototype, it would be much harder to detect." Narrator walked over and placed a shrouded hand on her shoulder. "Who knows: The 'Operational Companion' designed for you may even be a female..."

Underling picked up this ounce of 'subtlety', and shot the man a horrified expression. "Th... Ju... Wh... Get offa me, you freak! Never touch me again!" She screeched as she pushed Narrator away. "There, there, Nepgeo... D...Don't listen to them..."

Nepgeo raised her head and looked the ASIC member in the eyes. "Linda... Please... What if they're all right? I don't want to hurt you..."

"Don't say crap like that! There's no way in hell that you're..." One of them. That's what she wanted to say, but she couldn't go through with it. Narrator chuckled, clearly amused by all this.

By this point, Nisa had had enough. "You, Narrator, are one of the most vile creatures I have ever dealt with before in my life. Not only did you manipulate me to unleash your dreadful schemes, but you also endangered my friends' lives in the process. And now, you are verbally assaulting a helpless young woman in her darkest hour. I can stand idly by no longer!" The heroine of justice leapt forward, and launched a swinging kick at the cloaked fiend. Get him, flatty heroine!

Her kick connected, catching Narrator off-guard. He flew back a few feet, and ducked under her next attack. Nisa launched a furious uppercut, but the man registered the move quickly, and slid out-of-the-way.

As the fight ensued, Linda still attempted to get through to Nepgeo. "Geo, please, work with me here! What happened? How did you get here?"

The purple-haired imposter wiped her eyes, and gripped the ASIC member's hand tightly. "O-Ok... I think I've calmed down a bit... Well, I remember that Magic appeared and took you away. A few minutes later, I, uh, tidied myself up, and went back into the crowd... Damn, my mind's so hazy right now..."

Underling tried to think of a way to help the girl remember, so she chose the simplest cliché she could think of. She quickly pulled Nepgeo into a kiss, and the two remained that way for a few moments. IF, of course, was there to witness yet another unexpected kiss, though this one involved one of her enemies. "Geez... What, is that the third time today? I gotta get off of Leanbox more often..."

Underling moved her lips away from the purple-haired imposter's, and smiled ever so slightly. "...Um, do you... remember anything now?"

Seeing the usually reserved Linda's blushing smile cheered Nepgeo up a bit. "Heh... Thank you, Lindy... Y-Yeah, I remember what happened next... Um, ok, so I walked around for a bit, when I heard someone shriek. It was this adorable pink-haired girl, probably a year older than me... Oh, but that detail's not important right now..."

In the background, Nisa struck a pose that signified she was unleashing hidden strength. She proceeded to lash out once again, but Narrator weaved out-of-the-way again. The cloaked man has a surprisingly-high agility stat...

Nepgeo continued. "Anyways, something had brushed against her leg, and let me tell you, she was positively afraid of creepy-crawlies. So, I 'humbly' offered to investigate, and I found... and here's the strange part..." She paused for dramatic effect, "...this adorable gray mouse! Like, he even had this kick-ass heart shape on his wittle tummy! Hm... Now that I think about it... He kinda resembles that hood you're wearing... Tee hee..." Wow, Nepgeo sure seems like she's back to normal. What could have happened to make her so depressed before?

"Woah, hold it... A gray rat? You can't possibly mean..." Linda was stunned. She refused to believe that even Pirachu had shown up at the game expo.

"Y'know, I heard rumors that there was a cute little mousey workin' for ASIC, but I never met him in person... Holy shit, he's your friend, isn't he!?" Nepgeo was positively ecstatic; Any hints that she was broken earlier had vanished.

"H-He... There's no way in hell that little rodent is my friend! Y-You got it all wrong!"

IF wasn't too sure which scene to watch. On one side of her, there was Underling acting way out of character with a girl who looked amazingly like Nepgear. On the other side, Nisa was busy fighting a completely shrouded man known only as 'Narrator'. "Oh man, this is gonna mess me up later in life, isn't it?" The brunette sighed yet (and yet) again. Weird way to put it, but she felt like a third wheel in this scene. Hell, I've felt like that this entire story!

"Take this, evil-doer!" Nisa declared, and she pulled back her right fist. "Justice... PUNCH!" The heroine of justice threw a charged punch, flames physically surrounding her knuckles. Narrator wasn't swift enough to dodge the super-charged attack. It connected where his stomach should be, and the man went flying to the ground...

Linda was still shocked. "So, anyways... Where's that rat now?"

Nepgeo pondered the question for a second, than gave the ASIC member an unsure expression. "Huh, I dunno... I picked up the little cutie-pie, and carried him away from that sexy lady... Then..." Her eyes lit up as she remembered something. "Ooh, yeah! Then Magic appeared in front of us!"

Underling grew even more confused... and worried. "CFW Magic? Why would she...?"

"No clue. Anyways, she told us to follow her, and then I guess she teleported us away to this place... But I couldn't find Mr. Mousey anywhere. And then..." The girl went silent. Oh dear... This must be where she became devastated...

Narrator quickly got back onto his feet, holding his shrouded stomach. "D-Damn... You are indeed a strong one, young heroine. Why, if only-" Suddenly, the man froze. "Tchk! Wha... N-No! Not n...ow..."

The man fell to one knee, and raised his head to the heroine. "Please, Nisa, finish me! Save me from this torment! I will be their little puppet no more!" Narrator cried. Crap, he's acting all bipolar again...

Seeing the man change to a completely different person again really ticked the heroine of justice off. She felt something snap inside her mind once again. "Why must you continue to make a mockery of me and my justice!?... I will hold myself back no longer!" Nisa grabbed the man by the shrouded chest, and lifted him up. "And why... are you... wearing... this pathetic... CLOAK!?"

Before he could resist, Gamindustri's heroine of justice tugged heavily on Narrator's cloak; Within moments, it came undone. She yanked the entire shroud off of the man, and tossed it into the air, revealing for all to see:

"What the goodness..."

...

Nah, I'm just joking with you; That wasn't the big reveal. I'm just trying to have some fun with you, to alleviate the mood a little, y'know?

Let's try that again...

Before he could resist, Gamindustri's heroine of justice tugged heavily on Narrator's cloak; Within moments, it came undone. She yanked the entire shroud off of the man, and tossed it into the air, revealing for all to see:

Nothing... There is nothing underneath that cloak...

...

Man, at least my twist was more exciting...

"Wh-What blasphemy is this!?" Nisa gasped. IF, too, was caught off-guard. Just who, or what, is that Narrator?

...

Nepgeo cast her eyes downward as she recalled her tale. "...At first, Magic sounded kind, in that Magic sorta way; She sounded like the higher-up she shoulda been, y'know? After a bit, though... It was like she changed. She... She started talking about... you, and she said some real horrible things."..

Underling's stomach churned from hearing the girl's words. CFW Magic, the idol Linda absolutely adored... berating her behind her very back? Even when she had broken the ASIC member's heart, Magic never actually insulted her in such a cruel way...

The purple-haired imposter tried to hide her face from the ASIC member. "I... I really did try to defend you, but she just laughed... and laughed... And that was when..." What the...? A flashback!?

_"Do you see this, peon? This... hehe... is your mother."_

_CFW Magic and Nepgeo stood in the familiar white abyss, though this time, it was slightly different: The scene took place in the hidden lab Nisa had stumbled upon, though none of the walls were present. It was clearly the same lab, but surrounded by the ethereal brightness._

_"Wh... What are you talking about?" Nepgeo questioned, walking towards her 'mother.' It was a large, empty tube... The one with the scratched-off name._

_"You really don't remember, do you? Not too long ago, you called this tube home. One day, though... you escaped... I was deeply sorrowful to see that you were no longer with us..."_

_"Bullshit! What are you saying?"_

_"Hehehe... You're a creation, 'Nepgeo'... A doll, if you will." The girl squinted her eyes. "You were based off of an associate working for ASIC at the time... designed for one purpose, and one purpose only..." Magic chuckled._

_"W-What a load of crap! I-I'm real, you... freak! I... I have memories of my childhood, and everything! I-I have... well, h-had an actual mom... a-and even a dad too! Sure, mom was sick all the time, and I never knew my dad, but..."_

_"Enough, you failure... Fine, if you're so certain that you have a life, then tell me this: What was your mother's name?"_

_"H-H-Ha! That's an easy one... Of course... her name was..." But the name wouldn't come. The memories she thought she had were no longer there. It was as if she had forgotten everything in the blink of an eye._

_"Look at you, denying who you are... It's simply revolting. Perhaps putting you out of your misery would be the best option. Heh... But that would imply that you were alive in the first place..."_

_"S-Shut UP! I... I'm real!... I'm... real..." Nepgeo fell to her knees: All of the things she had believed she had done... Were they all lies? Now that she really thought about it, she didn't have any family to return to; no way to corroborate her past. Hell... she couldn't even remember where she once lived. Was her whole life merely a fabrication?_

_"Yes... succumb to your fate, horrid child... Ah, yes, maybe now you can finally accept your true purpose."_

_The purple-haired imposter began crying, the tears streaming down like wild-fire. "W...What's my... purpose...?"_

_CFW Magic smiled, and placed a dark, cold hand on the girl's shoulder. "Why, restore 'The Almighty', of course. Here, take a look at this tube once more..."_

_Against her will, Nepgeo was lifted up and forcibly pressed against the tube that she had allegedly inhabited. She saw the scratched-off space on the tag, and then noticed a familiar name._

_"L-Linda!? Why... Why is her name on this thing?" She sobbed with worry. "Wha... What did you do to her!? Where did you take her!?"_

_The ASIC commander waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, Linda is serving her purpose right at this moment; Do not worry, she is no creation of ours. No... take another look at the tag again..."_

_Nepgeo reluctantly looked over the incomplete tag again, but found something surprising: Oh dear, the tag was no longer scratched out!_

_It reads: 'Nepgeo-Linda'... Uh oh._

_The purple-haired imposter began to feel sick. "W-What? What's this supposed to mean!?"_

_"Your purpose, young one, is to seduce Linda, thus providing our Almighty Goddess with more energy. Ah, and indeed, you far exceeded your expectations: You managed to break those two CPU Candidates apart, even if you didn't mean to. Heh... With all the energy you gave us, it's almost a good thing that you were born prematurely..."_

_"No... That can't be... true..." Nepgeo slowly started to weaken, as she gave into the persuasive woman's torrid words. "Why... Why are you telling me this...?"_

_"Ha ha ha ha... I'm telling you all this for your own good... but also for Linda's, too. You see, if I had allowed you two to stay together any longer, then you would have killed my poor subordinate. As much as I hate to admit it, you were an unexpected success; You managed to make that poor girl fall in love with you after such a short time. If you two had indeed acknowledged that love for each other, and she was certainly close to doing just that, then..." Magic chuckled ever darker than before. "...you're true colors would have been unearthed, and you would have absorbed Linda's very soul. Would you want something like that to happen?"_

_Nepgeo sobbed again. "No... I could never hurt Linda... I..."_

_"What? Do you really believe that you love her? That's too cute... You don't have feelings! You're a freak of nature; Less than the dirt mere mortals step on! How could you ever love someone!?" CFW Magic burst with rage, further weakening Nepgeo's resolve._

_"You're... you're wrong... I love her... I know I do..."_

_"No, you were simply designed to want to absorb her life essence."_

_"No... I love her... Right?"_

_"What a pitiful creature you are..."_

Linda held Nepgeo close as she finished recalling her story. The ASIC member felt like she needed to cry herself. Why would Magic say horrible things like that? Just what was going on? ... Hm, isn't that the question of the day!

"Hey, Geo... D-Did you really... mean what you told Magic? You know... How you feel...?" Underling asked, her heart fluttering like never before.

The purple-haired imposter smiled slightly bashful-like, if you ask me. "Y-Yeah, I believe I did... But, if Magic is right, then..."

The ASIC member felt herself melt inside at hearing that. Still, she maintained a somewhat stoic demeanor. "Hey, if you believe yourself, then forget about Magic! How do you even know that she wasn't spoutin' off a whole lotta crap, anyway? I mean... There's been a lot of weird shit going on today. Is it that far-fetched to assume that she was lying just as much as everyone else?" She ruffled the girl's hair, trying to dispel her own discomfort. It didn't help. "Besides... If it really did turn out that you were gonna eat my soul, then... Well, I won't go down that easy. Believe me." She reassured with a smile.

Nepgeo thought a moment, then smiled. "Hehe... Thanks, Lindy... You sure know how to cheer me up..."

"D-Don't mention it... We-We're partners, right? Heh... Once an associate of ASIC, always an associate of ASIC, right?" Partners... partners... That word still resonated soundly in Linda's mind...

"Teehee... you bet~" Nepgeo pulled Linda into another kiss, and the two continued to ignore the world around them...

...

"So, you mean to tell me that the Narrator creep was just a freakin' cloak? Well, that doesn't make any damn sense!" IF vented. It had been a long day, and she really just wanted to go home. So do I...

Nisa growled in frustration. "No! I refuse to believe that our enemy is a mere illusion! There must be something else going on he-" Once more on cue, the non-existent ground beneath them began to rumble. "Woah... Hold on to something, IF!"

The rapidly shaking ground finally managed to snap Linda and Nepgeo back to reality. "What the hell? Is... this an earthquake!? But there's not even ground in this place!" Linda yelled. She held onto the purple-haired imposter tightly; Seems Miss Underling doesn't take well to having the ground move beneath her.

A few long moments passed, and the shaking surroundings distracted the girls from a most unusual sight... Um, can no one else see that? There's a pretty large object rising up from the white abyss...

Uh... On no... I recognize that figure anywhere... Hell, everyone in this white abyss should; No one could forget someone like that. I, of all people, should know...

The shaking soon subsided, and the girls recuperated from the unpleasant experience. IF was the first to recover, and she got back on her feet. "Man, that was strang-... What the crap!?"

The battle-hardened veteran's eyes came to rest upon the large familiar figure that was now standing nearby. Nisa heard the brunette's outburst, and stood back up as well.

"What is the matter, my fellow comrade?" the heroine asked, but then glimpsed the same figure that her partner did. "Oh my...! What sorcery is this!?"

...

"Hey... Linda! Now, I like how you're all snuggly, and stuff, but the earthquake's over..." Nepgeo reassured the ASIC member. Underling cautiously lifted her head, then cracked an embarrassed grin.

"Oh! Heh... sorry 'bout that... Y-You can just forget about what you saw... Huh?" Yep, you guessed it: The two women holding each other now noticed the figure standing before them. "S...Shit... What, is Hell givin' out free passes today, or something?"

The newly arrived giant looked down at the girls, and let out a grunt of anticipation. "Pretty crafty, purveyor of righteousness, but all you've done was unleash a beast beyond your very control. Now!" The armored being, perfectly resembling a mech from one of those popular anime series, raised his overly large sword; A clear battle position. "Show me the true might of your so-called justice!"

"You have got to be kidding... Last time I checked, wasn't he... REALLY dead?" IF cocked her head to the side once more. The giant before her was one of the group's past enemies, though he hadn't ever really been that bad in the first place. In the end, he ultimately had to be defeated, but he parted on good terms... which is more than I can say about some other particular people...

Linda just shook her head and sighed. Nepgeo stared in awe; She apparently forgot how tall and bulky her superiors had been.

Nisa, however, was fully prepared for a fight. She wasn't sure what was going on, but that was no reason to pull any punches. "Oh, it's on, evil-doer!"

With that, Gamindustri's heroine of justice lunged towards the real true identity of Narrator...

...CFW Brave? Uh... That doesn't seem correct...

?

...

Well, faithful readers... We made it! Whew, that was a long one... W-Wow, a really long one... Sorry about that... But the page is finished at long last!

I would like to use this time to formally apologize if the above events seemed way too dark or out of place for this story. A little gust of wind whispered to me earlier something about blaming the 'Conquest' ending for allowing such a unexpected mood twist, or whatever... but I have no clue what it meant. Perhaps that ghostly explanation means more to you?

Hm... Oh, and I should probably apologize for my miscalculations, as well: Remember last installment, when I told you that there would be four installments (Wow, that feels like years ago)?... Well, um, that was before all of these unfortunate scenarios played out. I am not a perfect storyteller, as you already should have realized; I still have personal demons to deal with... Hell, spending your life as a being formed entirely out of negative emotions really takes a toll on you, y'know?

But... I'm feeling better; Certainly much better than I did by the end of the last installment. I really feel like I'm a new man! Why... I no longer exist purely on rage and hatred...

No, I truly believe that I am a much stronger individual than I ever was before. Ha, how strange... Less than a year ago, I could never talk like this. Everything was all 'Hate! Hate! Hate!'... But now, I...

...Hmm, no, I shouldn't waste any more of your time; This installment's done enough of that already. It is here, faithful viewers, that we must part for the time being, though I will spare one more factoid with you:

The next installment is the last in this tale. And this time, there will be no unexpected continuum shifts... No, this one shall do it...

So, how will it all end? What devious twists still lie in wait? And, most importantly, will this final installment be as much of a door-stopper as this one was?

Only time will tell. Until then, though... I bid you all ado...

_"Kei! We agreed not to do that in public yet!"_

... What the hell was that just now...? Did, uh, any of you hear that? ...Any ideas what that could have meant? What, was that some omitted line, or something?

...W-Well, I'm sure it was nothing... Uh, see ya...


	5. Act V, Scene 1: Revolutionary Etude

_"...Yo... Sup. The name's D-Bag... Where am I?"_

_The mysterious boy, obviously an NPC, looked around his surroundings, quite unsure of where he was. However, his face remained impartial the whole time; Seems nothing fazes this guy._

_"...Huh, this is weird... So, here I was, mindin' my own business and gettin' a good run in, when some freak pulls me over and tells me to read this little note to you. Any clue why?"_

_You do not respond, as you are on the other side of the screen. Despite this, D-Bag nods in agreement._

_"Yeah, true that, brah... Anyways, I need to get back to my run, so let's get this over wit'." With that, he pulls out the letter, and reads:_

_"Dear, faithful viewers... This final installment of **Much Ado About Nothing** shall be split up into two parts, unlike the last long-ass chapter. This way... the story can feel longer than it actually is... Now, onward!"_

_Having finished that short and concise note, D-Bag looked up and nodded his head, a lax look on his face._

_"Cool story, brah... There you have it, I guess. Catch ya laters, broski." With a small acknowledging hand-raise, the boy ran off... Wait, he still doesn't know where he is! Where the hell's he going!?_

_...Oh well, that's far from important. Let's get on with this already!_

_..._

* * *

**Book One: Dream of Butterfly**

... Preparations are almost complete... The script is finished, to a workable degree, at least; Unfortunately, I can not account for every single insufferable detail. Some things will just have to go unresolved...

Hmph... Like it really matters. In the end, the small facts are meaningless; Once this plan plays out as I hoped, I will have returned, and this world and all those who inhabit it will be mine.

Yes... and they will all die...

Ah, but I still need one last thing: Lackeys to do my dirty work. A few helping hands will certainly speed things up a bit, as much as it pains me to say...

And who better to help me than my very own fragmented soul?

After all this time, I've finally gotten a much better handle on traveling through this existential plane of nothingness. Yes... I now have near-total freedom in my movements.

Journeying deeper into my own soul is not a problem for me at all...

First stop...

...

I found him in a deep recess of my mind, amusingly bound by thick chains. After all this time, he no longer attempted to struggle out of those restraints; The poor creature had finally resigned to his fate. Good... The hopeless are the easiest to control.

"Hello there, Brave." I gave the fetid beast a name merely to humor myself: These 'things' had no right to be considered their own identities.

The figure's head rose so its eyes could take in my image. "...What do you want?"

"I'm sure you already suspect... I need your help."

"Why should I help you? I did your bidding once before, and sacrificed my very soul just to restore you to glory. My task is complete." My oh my, he sure speaks so resolutely to me. How... delightful...

Truth be told, out of all the portions of my soul, Brave is my most despised. I hate everything about this insufferable wretch. His yearning for justice, and the children's' joy... Why, it almost implies that I have a shred of humanity somewhere deep inside...

I can't allow that.

"Brave... Without me, you would be nothing."

"You fail to recognize that I am already nothing. Your clever tricks can no longer work on me. Go find a new lap-dog." Hmph. How dare he speaks to me like this! Sure, I absorbed him and his comrades to revive myself... Hell, I even manipulated his form after the fact for a little while.

But he must realize that I am his creator. What little illusion he has of existence is purely because of me.

Well... I figured things would play out like this. That's why I brought a trump card...

"Fine, I understand... Though I am quite saddened, dear Brave... What will become of that little Candidate girl on Lastation now...?"

His 'eyes' glared fiercely in my direction. "What are you implying? What does SHE have to do with this?" Heh... got him now.

"Oh, it's nothing... I just thought that I would spare her life... Of course, if you truly do not care, then..."

"Wait!" The creation raised its voice. "...Whatever you are planning, leave Uni out of it."

"I can only guarantee her safety if you join me..."

"No, I refuse to harm any more innocents! Everything I believed in ASIC... It was all lies! You never once thought to please the children! How could I ever stand to aid you once more!?"

"Hmm... so be it. Then I shall kill that little girl... Ah, and in her final moments, as I slowly suck the life out of her, I will tell her that it was you who refused to save her. She will perish knowing that one of her supposed friends was just a fraud all along..."

"NO!" Heh... Having friends makes one so susceptible to foolishness. Glad I don't have any. "... Fine, Deity of Sin... I shall do what you desire, if it will protect Uni from harm..."

"Glad to hear it, Brave. I knew you wouldn't let me down..." I snapped my illusionary fingers, and the chains surrounding the hulking behemoth of a creature were no more. He fell to his feet.

"...So what is my first task?" He reluctantly asked. Yes... He is fully resigned to my will! Now... comes my favorite part.

"Do not worry... I will handle it all from here..." I placed my hand upon the monstrosity's head, and watched as his resolve weakened.

"D-Damn... W-What are y-you doing!?" He yelled as I slowly took control of his very mind. In his last moments of 'free will', he most likely realized the underhanded trick I played on him. The only way I could have hurt his precious Uni was if he helped me; I had no other way to escape this void without him... Yet, he blindly believed the pathetic lie I fed him.

Ah, yes... Bonds truly do make you weak...

One down... three to go...

...

* * *

Well, this is it, folks: Today, this saga of confusing antics shall finally come to an end! Why, I am positively ecstatic! I just can't wait to delve into this grand conclusion!

... Hm? Oh, why am I so chirp today? Well, I've realized that this whole time, I've been mopey, and brooding... Y'know, not the best enunciator for you faithful readers.

However, that old me is gone, staring today! From here on out, I promise to dictate the coming events with as much vigor as possible!

Heh heh... So, let's work on gettin' you all pumped up! Commencing...

In a few moments, you will witness the epic conclusion to this rollercoaster ride of a tale! In the next waning chapters, your heart-strings will be craftily pulled! Why, your very own mind will be titillated by the fantastic sights, and the brain-bending reveals! Do not be surprised to find yourself crying in both joy and despair; That is only natural. Do not feel ashamed or embarrassed by whatever feelings this final installment stirs; Who am I to Judge you?

Prepare to have your mind blown, dear audience! Vicious conspiracies will be unearthed, your sanity will be tested, and, just maybe, your entire view of the world around you may change forever!

...Still not convinced on how groundbreaking this ending will be? Very well, then... I shall bestow upon you one last detail to dwell on...

Hear hear! Listen intently all ye who remain, for you're in for quite a jolt: Tonight... someone dies!

Oh ho! Interested now? Well, all this and more are what await... right now!

...

... Hm... was that a bit excessive? Sorry, I got a little carried away there. Um, I really don't know that much about what's supposed to go down... Again, I get fed these scenes in real-time...

Oh, but somebody on the good side is slated to die! This I promise!

Why does that make me so happy?... Uh... Well, I guess it excites you in the audience more, right? Yeah... If you guys are happy, then so am I...

... Oh, look at me once again wasting your precious time! For the last time... Let's get on with this!

* * *

**Continuum: Blues of the Soul**

Hmm, now where were we?... Oh, that's right; I'm supposed to deliver a... hearty recap... right now... Er, right now!

...I apologize yet again... Why does this story force me to lead you on like this?

Okay, here we go: Well, many things have happened since the third installment's recap, so go read that if you don't know everything up to that point... though I would wonder why you'd read the last installment before the third one, but fine...

Anyways, after my well-delivered condensation of two full chapters, the brown-haired young man named Adrian continued to unsettle Noire (almost intentionally, if you ask me). Tensions continued to rise, until it all exploded right outside the game expo. Neptune disapproved(?) of Noire's negative opinion, and split away from the tsundere. Oh, and the young Nepgear and Uni were also at the scene. Nepgear was abducted by her older sis, while Uni, who was quite confused, stuck with Lady Black Heart. Important to note is that two couples were separated because of Adrian.

Meanwhile, IF was still reeling from the night before, when she and 5pb had a huge misunderstanding. Lady Green Heart appeared to be taking advantage of the situation, and moved to attract the confused brunette. It seems that Vert, too, was having strange 'dreams' involving a young man. Those mysterious scenarios had clouded the goddess' common sense, causing her to attempt to seduce the battle-hardened veteran. Luckily, the whole situation was resolved maturely, but the uneasiness surrounding the whole case still remained. The game expo soon arrived, and Miss IF resolved to apologize to Lyrica.

Also going on at that same time, Linda and Nepgeo continued to act as fanservice or something, and figured that their mission required them to go to the very same game expo. Sensing a pattern here? While there, the flirtatious Nepgeo, who looks remarkably like Nepgear from the back, jokingly kissed a stunned Falcom. While the whole scene seemed random and harmless, it secretly served a devious purpose: Uni witnessed the heated kiss between who she thought was Nepgear and the stock adventuress, causing her much distress. Long story short, Uni later found her actual girlfriend and burst in anger at her. One couple officially down...

Hm, let's hurry this up... Adrian went insane, thus showing his true colors, and Lady Purple Heart bonked him over the head. CFW Magic appeared, and brought Linda to this very booth in which I am reading this aloud. I... panicked, and the ASIC member took the helms... rather poorly, if you ask me. Oh, and Nisa woke up and discovered that a bunch of young men were being manufactured in order to seduce her comrades. Why? Who knows... Anyways, Narrator continued acting bipolar, but managed to convince Nisa to press a really big, suspicious button. The whole world was consumed in a deep white light...

...And our heroines found themselves in some mindscrew of a realm, where they had no recollection of their actual lives, and they attended high-school... And yes, they were all probably in the same grade; It just works like that, I guess. Well, a girl known only as Red appeared, and worked on snapping IF and the others out of the trance. In possibly the weirdest chapter this saga will ever see, the girls from a Gamindustri long forgotten (but one not much different from the one our heroes all know) appeared to help rip a seam in the illusion, and most of our lovable cast were sent home. However, IF, Linda, and Nisa weren't sent back to where they were before the mind-screw; No... They all were transported to a blank realm, similar to the one where Narrator had contacted the heroine of justice in the first place.

Almost done... Linda reacquainted with Nepgeo, who had been emotionally scarred by CFW Magic. Ah yes, it seems that the purple-haired imposter may merely be an earlier model of the brown-haired young men... Of course, who knows what the real truth is at this point? Last, but not least, Nisa and IF made a horrifying discovery: Narrator was simply a proxy of an old enemy... CFW Brave! "What?" "How?" "Why?" "Huh?" "Fuwa?" All of these are perfect responses to the events of the past two installments. Gee, what a strange continuum shift this whole fanfiction underwent! I certainly didn't see all this coming, that's for sure!

...Oh, and apologies again for the doorstopper the last chapter was. I couldn't help it; I'm just the narrator after-all...

...

...Well, I think I did a pretty good job there. Man, if only this whole story could have been this abridged...

So... The question is: What happens next, and how much clunky exposition can the author of this script toss in? Let's stop avoiding it... The time is now!... For real this time!

* * *

**Chapter 11: Arena**

"Hiyah!" Nisa screamed as she launched a flying kick at the large, mech-like creature. Damn, I wasn't kidding. The heroine's foot connected with the behemoth, but the predictable happened: The attack did no damage. Hm... well, I can't say that; I mean, Nisa was in a lot of pain after the attack...

"Nisa, what're you doing!? That thing's a robot! Kicking it's gonna hurt like mad!" IF shouted. See, she knows! ...Hey, weren't they able to do melee damage to Brave months ago...?

The heroine of justice grabbed her foot in pain, and fell to the floor. The mech-like man chuckled demeaningly. "So this is the best that the glorious heroine of justice can do? Ha! How pathetic." He lifted his flaming sword of fire, and viciously slammed it downwards.

"Crap, get outta the way!" The brunette cursed, and she dived into the downed Nisa. Both girls rolled out of the sword's path. "Get up! We gotta deal with this guy the old-fashioned way. There's no hope if you go it alone."

Nisa rubbed the back of her head and nodded bashfully. "Y-Yes, that's right! I... apologize for my brash behavior." The heroine jumped back onto her feet, and glared in her opponent's direction. "So, how shall we strike?"

"Stop talking amongst yourselves! Have you no honor!?" Brave swung his sword once again, and the girls leaped out-of-the-way.

"Heh... He's not too fast, you have to admit. Let's try to tire him out." IF taunted the monstrosity, and he lashed out yet again. The sword struck the nonexistent ground with intense ferocity, but the battle-hardened veteran had already dodged the blow.

"Curses! How dare you toy with me! Are you too afraid to face me like true warriors?" Brave roared. He swung at Nisa next, hoping to catch her off-guard, but she swiftly leapt out of the hulking weapon's arc.

IF rummaged through her pockets, and was relieved to have found what she was looking for: Her Qatars. Indeed, she never left home without them, just in case. "Fine, ya jerk. If you want a fight, then you got one!" The brunette quickly ran over and sliced Brave in the... shin? I'm not good with 'body' parts.

Oddly enough, Brave reacted to the small blades. "Ergh... So, the battle-hardened veteran finally shows her claws."

"Battle-hardened veteran...? What the hell kinda nickname is that? Is that how you see me?" The brunette asked, slightly confused. Yeah!... W-Who would call her something like... that...?...

"Hmph... Very well!" He appeared to be preparing another swing, so IF readied herself to jump to safety. Instead of flailing the flaming weapon, however, the machine man did something unexpected: He kicked the brunette down with his hulking foot. She did not anticipate the move in the slightest, and was hurled on her back.

"Miss IF! H-How dare you play such a devious trick on my naïve companion!" Nisa shouted passionately.

"H-Hey! Who are you calling naïve?" IF groaned as she picked herself up. Before she could stand, though, Brave once again slammed the sword down upon her. "Ah! S-Shit!" Fortunately, she managed to roll out of harm's way at the last second, but a shred of hair was cut loose from her head. Ah, clichés!

"Stay still!" The behemoth roared. Nisa took this opportunity to pull out her glorified Prinny Gun; What, does everyone carry around a weapon with them at all times? Jeez, this world is screwed...

Anyways, the heroine of justice ran up to the villain and slashed away with her... Prinny gun? I don't name these things, folks. "Take this, evil-doer!"

Brave was obviously not amused. The slashes were actually pretty potent, if you ask me. He screamed, and launched a fist directly into the heroine's gut. Poor Nisa was sent flying right into IF, knocking both of them flat on the ground. "So this is the best your justice can do? Ha! Your lives end HERE!" He once again raised his sword above his head. Oh dear.

IF slowly tilted her head over to the two quiet girls on the side. "H-Hey! I thought you were gonna help us!? Do something!"

Linda and Nepgeo were still holding each other on the ground, just watching the fight. "O-Oh yeah!... Um, let's see here..." Clearly, the two ASIC members weren't too keen on facing a fellow comrade, especially one that size and acting so out-of-character. But if those two don't do something, then...

The sword began its descent downwards, but suddenly came to a halt. Brave backed away, and placed one large metallic hand upon his metallic head. "N-NO! NOT AGAIN!" The behemoth fell to his knees, as if in pain... Uh oh, he's losin' it again!

Brave continued kneeling, writhing in... agony? Well, something like it, anyhow. Nisa and IF rolled off each other and slowly stood up. "What the hell's wrong with him? Did we strike his weak point or something?" IF asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"No... He's toying with us! This villain wants us to let our guard down yet again!" Nisa vented in frustration, and she began to charge up her weapon... when suddenly, the behemoth spoke.

"Heroine of justice... These are not my doings. I..." He stuttered in pain. "... I have very little control over my actions. I was tricked into becoming HER mind puppet..."

Linda and Nepgeo looked at each other in confusion; Watching this whole scene sure was taxing on the mind. "Hey, you have any clue what the hell's goin' on?" Underling whispered.

"Yeah, only as much as I did on Planeptune..."

"Ah... so, nothing at all?"

"Pretty much."

...Well, that sure was an important conversation...

Nisa, too, was also confused. "W-What are you saying: That some evil force is possessing your very mind? Why, what type of fool do you mistake me for!?" Yeah, she wasn't buying it.

Brave sighed and, with a struggle, managed to stand. "Perhaps it matters not whether you believe my words. In the end, I ask for only one thing: Release me from this prison. Strike me down now, and stop me before I commit any further vile acts!" The man spoke with ferocious intensity... So wait... He wants Nisa to kill him? Geez, that's kinda... heavy.

The heroine of justice was taken aback by his words. Up until a moment ago, she was ready to deliver a massive beat down the likes of which ASIC had never seen. Now, however... she began to have her doubts. What if Brave truly wasn't in control of his actions? All of the CFWs had returned from the dead before, completely resigned to the Deity of Sin. Perhaps... the same was going on here?

And hell... Hadn't some evil presence slightly possessed Nisa herself during that whole school incident?

...Could she really kill any CFW Brave, especially one whom was acting against his own will?

IF shot Nisa a questioning look. "Hey, you ok?"

The heroine snapped out of her trance, and nodded resolutely. "Y-Yes, I am fine!" Her eyes, however, looked unsure.

"...Well, you're the 'heroine' here... What do ya suppose we do? I say, if he wants us to finish him off, then we shouldn't keep him waiting." The brunette flexed, ready to strike.

"No... Something's not right, IF... I refuse to harm an innocent soul!"

"I-Innocent!? He almost killed us! You yourself said he couldn't be trusted!"

"Well... I've been thinking... Sure, he has always been an ASIC member, but he never wanted to kill merely because he could, right?"

The battle-hardened veteran thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Fine... If you don't wanna finish him off, then we won't... But now what?"

Both girls looked towards Brave, who still fought for control over himself. The mech-like being spoke softly. "...Why do you warriors refuse to expel me from this world? I am a creation intended only for evil; My very existence has caused you nothing but harm. And after all this, when the time finally came for me to protect the one who caused me to view the world in a hopeful light, I failed, and instead returned to being an agent of evil. Do you see now why I must die?"

Nepgeo started to shake once again in Linda's arms, alarming the ASIC member. "H-Hey! What's the matter? You okay?" The purple-haired imposter didn't respond.

Nisa walked up to Brave, and placed a hand on his metallic shoulder. "...Sure, you made things unpleasant for us at times, but... Wouldn't the world be a better place if you could use your full power to help the righteous?"

"It is too late for me, child... I am too far gone."

IF stood beside Nisa and sighed. "Why is everyone acting so mopey today? No one wants to read a story where everyone's depressed all the time! Geez, let's try this: Listen... Brave, if you're gone, then who's gonna watch over Uni?" The brunette didn't like saying cliché things like that, but she figured it was the only way to clear this whole situation up.

And, lo and behold, her obvious words seemed to awaken something deep inside CFW Brave. "Uni... The only reason I sided with the Deity of Sin again was to protect her... but my power was used to break her heart..." The titan lifted his head resolutely. "Hm... If I die here, then I would have wasted my entire existence serving HER false words... No, I can not allow that! If I am to perish, then it must be in a battle against her rule itself!"

IF and Nisa shot each other looks of slight wonderment, and grinned. Amazingly, IF's brief words had given their former enemy a renewed sense of justice.

Brave looked at the two girls and gave a powerful nod. "I shall help you, young heroines. Together, I believe we can-" The mech instantly fell back to his knees. Drat, and just when it looked resolved...

"Give in, you weakling! You serve only me!" Brave screamed to himself. Nisa and IF backed up a bit, and both of them grimaced. This was gonna be weird, wasn't it?

"No!... I.. am.. no... longer... your... LAPDOG!" The golem shouted to the heavens. Emitting a rage-filled roar, Brave painstakingly rose back upon his two feet.

"You insolent fool! How dare you defy your creator's will!" While those words did come out of Brave's mouth(?) yet again, the voice seemed to be... different? Almost as if it were someone else merely imitating his tone saying it...

"Begone demon! Never again shall you use me for your own device!" Brave gave one final shout, and went silent for a moment. Right before anyone could ask a single question, a different type of screamed resonated from the man: It was a deep female's voice.

Before the heroines' very eyes, a ghostly image of... something... drained out of CFW Brave, and dispersed into the non-existent atmosphere. After a short while, the hulking titan sighed in strained relief. "...She is gone... I am my own man now..."

* * *

**Chapter 11 mk2: Teary Edge**

Meanwhile, Linda was still holding the shaking Nepgeo. It seems her nervous jibes had gotten worse. "C'mon, just calm down... Please just calm down..."

"You shouldn't waste your time with this puppet; She can only lead to your downfall." A familiar voice came from behind the ASIC members. Underling turned her head and gasped.

"C-CFW Magic, ma'am! W-W-What are you...?" Indeed, the ASIC commander was standing right in the open before the two girls. Linda was once again surprised to see her idol, but then she remembered what Nepgeo had told her. "...You. What the hell did you do to Nepgeo? Why the hell would you say things like that!?"

The green-haired woman stood up, feeling more anger swell up inside her than ever before. She had always looked up to Magic, never once questioning her orders. Now, though, after everything that she had heard, and everything that she had experienced, she had had enough. Linda had said it once before, but now, she meant it even more: This really wasn't the same CFW Magic she agreed to follow.

The ASIC higher-up, though, felt no shame, and merely waved her hand dismissively. "Linda... Is that any way to speak to me? Aren't we... friends?" Magic sauntered over to Underling, and gracefully cupped her cheek. "I am simply looking out for you. This pathetic creature is designed to kill you, and I... I would be devastated if anything happened to you."

Magic continued to stroke Linda's cheek, causing the girl to lower her guard. Still, she tried to speak up. "But... Nepgeo can't be some clone... I refuse to believe that!"

"I am sorry, dear Linda, but any attraction you may feel for that pawn is merely her power manipulating your mind. You don't love her, nor does she love you. Objects can not have true feelings..."

Underling's eyes widened, and she struggled to hold back tears. "S-Stop! Y-You're lyin'!"

Magic smiled softly, and pulled the girl into a light hug. "There is no hope for Nepgeo... Her only salvation lies in her destruction. Only we can help her find peace, Linda..."

Linda's eyes continued to grow even wider, and she pushed herself out of Magic's grasp. "No! I'm... I'm not gonna kill her! I can't..." With that, she ran back to the shaking girl, who was now standing. Her eyes were glued to the ground.

"Linda... I'm not real after all, huh? I'm designed to kill you, aren't I..." Nepgeo slowly turned her face to the ASIC member. "...I really did enjoy being your partner, though..."

"Geo... You're real, dammit! Don't listen to her! She's... She's not CFW Magic! Magic would never say things like that!"

"I'm sorry, Lindy, but... I think she's right. I can't remember anything anymore... My whole life's a lie... If you don't get away, I'm just gonna kill you..."

"Shut up! Stop talking like that! There's no way that you're designed to kill me! That's bullshit!"

Nepgeo began to say something else, but quickly stopped. Her body shuddered, and her very eyes changed; Instead of a lifeless emptiness, they now exhumed pure rage. The hell?... It's almost as if her very body has become... possessed...

"...Geo... What's wrong?" Linda asked hesitantly, reaching her hand out for the girl. "H-Hey, Magic... What's going o-" She turned to look at her higher-up, but the commander was nowhere to be seen. "Where'd you go?"

"Liiiiiiindaaa." Nepgeo moaned. She slowly drifted towards the ASIC member, dragging her feet like a zombie.

"N-No! Nepgeo, don't do this!" Underling took a step back, unsure of what exactly was going on. The purple-haired imposter drew closer still.

The green-haired woman sighed, and gathered up all her courage. She cautiously journeyed towards the girl, and wrapped her arms around her. "There... there... Please just calm down..."

Nepgeo appeared to be unresponsive, though her hands began to search Linda's body. "H-Hey... Where are you touching?" The imposter Nepgear's hands reached into the ASIC member's pocket, and pulled out... a switch blade!? Crap, why do these girls carry weapons with them all the time?

At the last moment, Linda realized that something was wrong. She ducked away from Nepgeo right as she lunged the weapon downwards. The ASIC member was understandably shocked.

"N-Nepgeo... You tried to... kill me?" The imposter Nepgear didn't answer, but instead growled and jumped towards her target. The girl Linda had come to know was gone, having been replaced with a malicious beast.

Underling jumped out-of-the-way, and watched the girl's movements closely. Her mind was hazed beyond belief, and she felt like she needed to cry. She wasn't going to fight Nepgeo.

Sadly, the purple-haired girl didn't share that sentiment. She continued to thrust the blade at the ASIC member, her eyes blank the entire time.

The green-haired girl took this time to call for help from IF and Nisa, but to her horror... they were nowhere in sight. Somehow, they had all been separated. How? Weren't they all together but a mere moment ago?

Either way, she was on her own...

After a few moments of this scene, Linda finally had enough. With tears in her eyes, she avoided yet another attack, and chopped her hand against Nepgeo's precious neck. Quietly, the imposter Nepgear crumpled to the ground.

Underling fell to her knees and wheezed out a sob. "S-Shit... What's goin' on?..."

A hand lightly tapped Linda's shoulder, and the crying girl looked up. CFW Magic had returned. "Do you see now, Linda? I was trying to protect your heart from all this... I fear I was too late..."

The commander pulled Linda up, and held her close yet again. Gee, this installment features a lot of broken-hearts and hugging, huh? "CFW Magic... I'm so confused, ma'am. Why is all this happening?"

"...My dear Linda... Nepgeo couldn't help herself; Her duty was to kill you. She was going to snap eventually. Perhaps it is best that it happened this way... Now, you will not be caught off-guard."

"But... She seems so real... I even feel like I've met her before..."

"Those feelings are all illusions, Linda... You never met her before, and you never cared for her. In return, she didn't really love you..." Magic lifted Underling's chin, causing the ASIC member to look directly in her eyes. "However, dear Linda, there is someone who truly loves you..."

"C-CFW Magic, ma'am...?" Linda breathed in wonderment. Before she could register what was going on, the ASIC commander lovingly pressed their lips together.

Unbeknownst to the two women, a small figure had walked up to the downed Nepgeo. Lightly, it tapped the girl on the shoulder, shaking her awake. "Hwuh? What happened?" The purple-haired imposter asked groggily... Hm... Whatever was possessing her seems to be gone now... Uh oh...

Magic and Linda separated, and gazed into each other's eyes. The green-haired woman was completely stunned; Did her idol just profess her love to her?

"Uh... CFW Magic, ma'am... should we be doing this? I mean-"

"Please, Linda, just Magic is fine... There really is no need to be so formal around me..." Another short kiss. "I've got nothing to hide from you, my love..."

"W-Woah, my head's spinning..." Underling whispered despite herself. She had no grasp over what was going on, but she no longer cared; Hearing Magic say those words simply melted her heart. For the moment, everything was as it should have been.

...Everything was just like old times...

"I promise to protect you for as long as I continue to walk this land, Linda... if you so desire. Do you trust me, my love?"

"M-Magic... I've always... trusted you..." Linda felt happy again. Her idol loved her; That was all she ever wanted... right?

"I am glad, Linda... Thank you; Your full devotion is just what I was hoping for..." Magic pulled Linda into an even tighter grip, causing alarms to ring in the ASIC member's head.

"H-Hey, Magic... You're hurting me...!"

"Do not be afraid, Linda... In a few short moments, you shall never know pain again..." The commander placed her hand over Linda's face, and began to laugh. It was a horrific laugh, one that CFW Magic had never made before.

_S-Shit... I'm going to die... All this time, she's been saying that Geo was gonna off me, but Magic's actually the one who's gonna take my soul... Damn this..._ Linda watched helplessly as her idol slowly drained the life out of her. Her life completely out of her hands, Underling's mind drifted back in time, to that fateful lunchtime of her childhood...

_The... hell? Heh, I guess my last thoughts are gonna be about this girl I never met again. Figures; Why wouldn't I be reminded of my failures as I die? Oh well, I won't fight this..._

_"Hey, you wanna go use the slide? You can be my partner." There's her amazing smile again. Damn, even now, it still draws me in... I'd gladly be her partner any day..._

_Wait... this girl... Her eyes, her smile, her hair... It can't possibly be..._

_"Partners shouldn't be away from each other for too long, y'know?"_

_So familiar..._

_"Hehe... I'm xxxxxx... Nice to meet you, Linda..."_

_It's getting clearer..._

_"Hehe... I'm Nxxxxx... Nice to meet you, Linda..."_

_Almost..._

___"Hehe... I'm Nepgeo... Nice to meet you, Linda..."_

_...Nepgeo... I get it now! Why I feel so... smitten... when I'm with her: She's the girl I fell in love with long ago!_

_...Then, does that mean that she really isn't a fake? That she's not one of Magic's creations? Damn, how'd I fall for such a simple trick? __Magic musta brainwashed her into attacking me... That's why she mysteriously disappeared... _

_Whew... well, that's a relief... She's real..._

_So, I've been in love with Geo before I even realized who she was... Damn, I'm pathetic..._

_...Too bad I'll never be able to tell her..._

No Linda! Do not give in! Oh, who can save her now!? I... I can't watch...

"Lindy!" What the!? What's happening!?

...Hm, it appears that Nepgeo has jumped up and kicked CFW Magic right in the face! Well, that's convenient...

The ASIC commander was knocked to the floor from the assault and lay still, clearly stunned. The purple-haired imposter ran over to the dazed Underling and shook her shoulders.

"H-Hey, Lindy! Lindy, are you alright!? C'mon, speak to me!" The girl cried. Slowly, light began returning to the green-haired woman's eyes, and she breathed in relief.

"G-Geo... Is that you? You okay...?"

"Yeah! I...I'm so sorry, Lindy... I don't know what came over me! I... I couldn't stop myself; It was almost as if someone hijacked my body, or something!"

Nepgeo was clearly distressed, but Underling replied by planting a soft peck on the girl's lips. Once that was finished, both girls smiled. "Don't beat yourself up over it... You saved my ass just now, anyways."

"W-Well, the credit isn't all mine... He woke me up..." With that, the purple-haired imposter pointed to the small figure that had stirred her awake.

"Well, well, well... It's been a while, ya little rodent." Linda snickered as her eyes came to rest on her companion, Pirachu.

"You owe me for that one, chump. Once this is all over, you have to buy me twenty pounds of fresh cheese!" The mouse boasted. Is that gonna be his sole character trait for this saga?

"Yeah, you wish!" Ah, reunions... so touching... It was then that the ASIC member noticed that there was an unexpected guest among them. "Hey... what the hell is that?"

Linda was obviously pointing to the dogoo standing at the rat's side. The creäture silently looked around, a demented look on its face.

Pirachu spoke. "He's my ride, chump. Found him on the way to the expo, but we got separated. Never expected to find him in this place..."

"Bow-wow-wooze!" The dogoo called, bouncing up and down.

Linda rubbed her temples and groaned. "Dear God, this isn't gonna be well-received..." Huh, wonder what she meant by that?...

Anyways, after a moment of bewilderment and some bickering, the three (and one dogoo) began to discuss just what the hell was going on. Turns out that Pirachu had randomly been separated from Nepgeo upon entering this non-existent place, and had been searching all over for some sign of life. As luck would have it, the ASIC rat just happened to stumble upon both the dogoo he apparently knew and the scene that we just witnessed, and managed to awaken the downed purple-haired imposter in the nick of time.

Linda was still reeling from Magic's attack. "Why would CFW Magic try to kill me? Is she still intent on killin' the whole world? Man, this isn't like her at all..."

Nepgeo walked up and hugged the ASIC member from behind, causing Pirachu to cock his small head to the side. The imposter Nepgear spoke gently. "This is all my fault, Lindy... She used me to distract you... and you almost died because of it. Even if I'm not real, I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you..."

Underling melted into the hug, but refused to let all of Nepgeo's words slide. "Hey, Geo... Stop sayin' you're not real, alright? Whoever this fake Magic is, she obviously can't be trusted. You're not one of those damned clones, ya hear? In fact, I-I remembered something I wanted to tell you-" Before Linda could finish, Pirachu made a surprised gasp.

"There are others here?" He asked, quite confused. Linda and Nepgeo looked to where he was staring, and were shocked to see IF, Nisa, and Brave standing a few feet away.

"There you guys are! Where the hell'd you go?" Linda shouted in annoyance. IF turned her head questioningly.

"Huh? We've been standing right here for the past minute? I thought you two were watching... Huh? What's that rat doin' here?" Now the brunette was even more perplexed.

However, Linda was even more so. "H-Huh? Didn't you notice we were gone? It's been at least ten minutes... I think?"

"No, I swear you two were sitting there mere moments ago. Did you fall asleep and miss Brave's announcement of freedom just now? Pity..." The heroine of justice butted in.

Underling and Nepgeo looked at each other in wonderment, but stayed silent; Perhaps some things were better off unanswered...

However, Linda remembered something important just then: Magic had only been knocked down. She was still very much a threat. Before she could say anything, though, the ASIC commander slowly stood up. Her eyes pierced through Nepgeo like vicious daggers.

"You... You were a necessary evil, but I regret every second you continue to live. Your very existence fills me with a rage that I can not contain. Wiping you off the face of this planet will be the best thing I have ever done..." Magic droned... or is it Magic? Something seems off about her, to say the least. Either way, those were some harsh words for the purple-haired imposter.

"M-Magic... No, you're not CFW Magic! Who are you really!? Come clean, ya sick bastard!" Linda screamed, determined to protect Nepgeo with all of her might.

CFW Magic's figure chuckled. "...Very well, then... Everything's gone down the shitter anyways..." Uh oh... Magic's laughing maniacally now. Damn, that's kinda scary...

She... She's flying now... What is she...?

"Hey, what the crap is she doing here?" IF groaned in annoyance, definitely displeased by Magic's presence. Hell, I'm feeling displeased by everyone's presence right now... Oh, uh, sorry about that... It's just, this story shouldn't be so serious, y'know... I think it's getting to me again...

CFW Magic continued to levitate in the air, when suddenly, she flashed out of existence. The ASIC commander was nowhere to be seen. How odd...

"W-Wha...? Now where'd she go?" Linda sighed. The girls were silent after that, and failed to notice CFW Brave lift his head in sudden awareness... Seems he is alarmed by something. I wonder what... Though, does it really matter?

...

* * *

**Book Two: A Lone Prayer**

Fortunately for me, Brave has been the most difficult to deal with so far; He was clearly the closest to having an insufferable will of his own. Good thing I manipulated his pathetic little mind... I made short work of his defenses...

Ah, yes... my next two targets were much easier to control. CFW Trick was, as usual, a creep, but he had almost no resolve of his own. Re-merging with him was practically effortless...

From there, I had immediately gone and located Magic...

She, too, had been suspended by imaginary constraints, though she had never once thought of escaping. What a loyal subject she is: Never once had Magic imagined struggling against her bindings.

Once I was directly before her, she gracefully raised her head up towards me. "Ah... Dear Deity of Sin! To what do I owe the grace of your presence?" Hehe... Why, I do love a faithful follower... If you must know, I always saw Magic as a reflection of my ideal self. Why, if I were to have a permanent human form, I can only hope that I would be like her.

...Of course, I could never be a full human. That species is completely worthless; The scum of the universe.

"Hello, Magic... I am here to request your assistance on an important quest. I desire your full coöperation with anything that I demand. Do you agree to follow me once again?"

"Of course, my lady... If I may ask, what are your plans this time?" Ah, unrelenting devotion... How I love it...

"I have the perfect plan to restore myself to the physical realm. All I need is your help, and I will reign over Gamindustri henceforth! I shall finally destroy everything."

I was expecting a light chuckle of agreement from her, like a good lap-dog. Instead... I saw something so horrible, that it took my very breath away: Uncertainty.

"You're still on about destroying the whole universe? Will you spare no lives?" What blasphemy is this? Is the loyal Magic actually questioning my goals? Why, I could eliminate every single scrap of her presence if I so desired it! How dare she make a mockery of me!

...But still, I did not want to have to pull the exact same thing I had to with Brave. Sure, I did manage to take full control of his soul, but there is always that chance that he will rebel against me; I couldn't completely regress his will. I must stay on Magic's pathetic little good side to solidify my hold over her...

"...Whose life do you consider worth saving? If I am to have complete control over everything, there must be utter annihilation."

"...I... I will be forever grateful if you spared Linda's life, almighty Deity of Sin!" Hmph! You should be forever grateful that I even continue to let you draw breath!

... And wait... Linda? That useless underling? Why would Magic care about her life?

...No... it can't be! Does Magic, my once faithful lackey, actually have... feelings for Linda? For anything at all? Blasphemy! Love is meaningless; She should have no need for companionship! All Magic needs is my blessing... Everything else is as worthless as her pathetic existence...

...I am a wise deviant, however, so I did not act out. I must ignore the fact that a separated part of my being has... a friend...

"...Fine, if you agree to join me once more, then I promise to take care of Linda..." Ugh, just saying that made me sick.

Magic's eyes disgustingly flashed with relief, and she gave me a firm nod. "I understand, Almighty One, and thank you! I owe you all that I have. I pray that my power is up to your expectations..." With that, she simply held out her arms and allowed me in... I merged with her, and now had her soul under my full possession. And unlike Brave, there was no chance that she could resist, even when she realized that I meant to claim her precious Linda's soul...

Oh ho ho... Love is so much fun to play with... and destroy...

Well... time for my last target: Judge.

I do not foresee any difficulties in dealing with him...

...

* * *

Brave felt a major force approaching fast, and immediately knew what was coming... He could recognize that power anywhere...

"Heroine of justice, you and your comrades must brace yourselves! Magic was merely a scapegoat; The true villain is on her way!"

"Wha-Whatever do you mean?" Nisa asked, stunned by the behemoth's sudden outburst.

"Don't you all see!? I was not the only one being used as a puppet! Magic, too, had been possessed... Although, she must have been fully resigned to the Deity of Sin's power..."

Linda glared up at one of her former comrades. "So, what the hell're you sayin'? That Magic let herself become a mindless zombie!?"

"Indeed... but that's not the problem at hand! No... It appears that one last visitor is quickly closing in on us..." The mech-like being turned its head to face Nisa directly. "This is going to be the final battle! Prepare yourselves! We must fight for your world!"

"Wait! Who the hell's comin'?" IF asked, frustration in her voice. Man, she must be as tired as I am...

The non-existent ground once again began to shake, although the girls were better balanced this time. CFW Brave lifted his sword, and turned to face the direction opposite of the girls; Seems he knew where the approaching enemy was going to spawn. He spoke once again:

"We are about to come face to face with the Almighty Deity of Sin herself!"

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Almighty**

"W-What!? You mean Arfoire!? How the hell can she be showing up?" Last time IF checked, the Deity of Sin had been revived after all of her vessels were destroyed. Their destruction released their souls into the Gamindustri Graveyard, and Arfoire was able to roam the planet once more.

Of course, our heroines had defeated her several months ago... I think? Ah, who cares about the timing... Whenever it was, the Deity of Sin was sent back to whatever hell-pit she crawled out of. If she had been revived yet again, then there should have been a bit more fanfare, or something...

Brave spoke while facing away from the girls. "If you haven't noticed, we are not exactly in Gamindustri anymore. This is the realm that her soul wanders as she yearns for revival. I am not sure what the extent of her power is here, but all she needs is her words to destroy us..."

Linda looked over to Nepgeo and rubbed her shoulder. "You feelin' better now?"

"A little..."

"Hey, come on. You heard what's goin' on: That wasn't even the real CFW Magic! We can't believe a single word she said."

"I don't know... It all makes sense..." Nepgeo was looking extremely downcast again... Almost like I'm feeling right now...

"Hey, now that's the problem! None of this crap makes sense in the slightest! Besides..." Underling turned her head in slight embarrassment, and took a deep breath. Seems she was going to make another attempt at revealing what she just remembered to the purple-haired imposter. "...There's no damn way that you were created in the past few months..."

Nepgeo lifted her head and tried to look i the green-haired girl's face. "Hm? And... how do you reckon that?"

"W-Well... A long time ago, I was at a playground, ya see, and I met a really cute-"

"Linda, Linda, Linda... So naïve... Oh, dear, what could Magic possibly have ever seen in you?"

Another mysterious voice interrupted Linda at the most crucial part of her tale. However... Ah, screw it; Why am I even playing along with all this still? No matter how many times I resolve to be a stronger person, I just end up becoming even more depressed. There's no suspense in this scene: You know who the conniving mysterious voice belongs to! It was just revealed mere moments ago! Ugh, who writes this crap!?

... Gee, let's go find out who just interrupted Linda, shall we!?

"A-A-A-A-A-A-Arfoire...! Shit, she's here already?!" Linda groaned, and she pulled Nepgeo behind her. "Leave us the hell alone, ya coward! We don't give a flyin' hell about what you have to say!"

The Deity of Sin herself was standing before the group, smirking contentedly. Her form looked a bit more human than the girls remembered, but Arfoire was a goddess of many different forms, so it didn't strike them as too odd.

Brave wasted no time at all. At the moment the villain first appeared, the behemoth lunged his flaming sword forward. Predictably, the attack didn't connect.

"You truly are a fool, Brave. There is no way you can strike me, for I am nothing but a mere phantom; I had assumed even you would have figured that out by now..." The ethereal Deity laughed rather hammily.

"Hmph. If you are a ghost, then how do you hope to harm us?" Brave snarked, though he knows what danger any form of Arfoire presents. We all do...

Arfoire chuckled at the mech's words, but didn't immediately respond. Instead, she lifted her face up to the non-existent sky. "Hehehe... It is a pleasure to see all of you again... How did you enjoy my little script?"

IF cocked her head to the side. "Script? Now, what's that mean? Why is everybody acting so cryptic lately?"

"Cryptic? Me? Why, that hurts, Miss IF... I was merely trying to up the suspense. Readers love stories with unclear plot elements..." The Deity of Sin laughed heartily again, grating everybody's ears.

...Just what is this woman trying to say? Oh, if only I cared enough to figure it out...

"Can it, lady! Either tell us what the hell you want, or let us outta here! We've already wasted enough time." Linda shouted as she and Nepgeo walked up beside the brunette, eyeing Arfoire with a ferocious intensity.

"Hehe... Very well then, Linda... If you want some exposition, then I will not disappoint you." ...Oh no! Not more exposition!

"Ugh, she can't make this easy, can she?" The battle-hardened veteran sighed. "Oh well, just spill the beans already... Guess it's the only thing you're willin' to do. I'm sure there's some people in the audience who are just as lost as we are."

Arfoire thought for a moment, then spoke. "To start off, I wish to congratulate you all for making it this far. If you hadn't completely ruined my plans, then you would all be dead right now. Well, more like your souls would be mine..."

"Hell of a lot of confidence for someone who's not even alive..." Underling muttered.

IF was still confused over... well, everything. "Yeah, yeah, you lost... But get to that script-thing you keep alluding to! I'm sure everyone here is tired of this vague bullshit by now." Well, that was blunt, but I guess it was an effective statement.

"So impatient... If you need it spelled out for your dimwitted minds, then fine, I can do that. To put it in words even you will understand, I have been responsible for every misfortune you have encountered in the last few days. In some way, be it large or small, I have manipulated your mind to act in accordance with my plans."

"Responsible for... every misfortune?" Nisa spoke her confusion as well. There you have it, folks; Not a single person here has any idea what's going on! Bet you didn't expect all this when you clicked on this simple little story, huh?

"Yes, that's what I said; Are any of you even capable of understanding simple words!?" Arfoire snapped, frustration seeping through her cool exterior. She remained silent for a moment, then continued as if nothing happened. "Ever since you imbeciles defeated me, I have plotted yet another return to the land of the living. You see, I was... inspired, so to say, by many different worlds I came across while going through my transition to non-existence. I realized that there were far greater sources of energy than shares and pirated software..."

"Hiyah!" Nisa and IF hollered as they lurched their weapons towards the villainous goddess. The attacks, once again, did nothing; Arfoire may as well have been a hologram. "Drat, we really can't hurt her..." IF muttered.

The Deity of Sin clearly was not pleased. "Oh, so you make me recount my long-winded tale under the guise that you wish to understand, and then use that opportunity to strike at me? I am ashamed of you two. Not only are you both predictable as ever, but you were pains to work with. I had to use so much power just to get you both from one point to another. Why, I almost wish my plans called for you to die in the first chapter..."

The brunette sighed. "Look, we heard you the first time; That doesn't mean it makes any sense!" The villain's words finally began to sink in. "Wait... first chapter? Yeah, and a script... You can't seriously be saying that we've been following whatever the hell you wrote, can you?"

"Amazing... And it only took you this long to figure that obvious revelation out! Indeed, I concocted a script that would get all of you worthless girls to be exactly where you needed to be to bring enough energy to power up my creations..."

Nisa, too, realized what all this meant. "So, you controlled Brave, and made him take on the persona of Narrator. By doing that, you managed to trick me into sneaking into that facility and press that big button, correct?"

"My, my, you catch on quick. Yes, I sent you to that fake Avenir headquarters. I must admit, you found the hidden lab faster than I anticipated..."

Brave cut in. "Yes, and because of your swiftness, she used my body to knock the consciousness out of you... Grr, if only I was stronger, I wouldn't have been controlled at all!"

Arfoire dismissively waved her hand. "Don't put yourself down too hard; You had no chance to reject me... Anyways, I made sure that you were incapacitated to prevent you from activating the next stage of the plan prematurely. You see, the majority of my clones needed to have enough power to be brought to life, and, once they were sufficiently alive, their combined force would unite, and that button would unleash it all upon the world. I figured that a school setting would be the perfect place to garner enough 'worshippers,' so the world was adapted accordingly."

"...What?" IF flatly responded. "Why is this plan of yours so complicated? Geez..." My, no, everyone's sentiments exactly...

The Deity of Sin, though, was not done explaining. Yeah, you're just gonna have to bear with this for a bit longer. "Oh my, I haven't yet explained what it was that brought my darling creations to life."

"...I don't really care at this point..." Nisa whispered to the brunette, who could only nod.

"You see, I realized that I could manipulate the very emotion that I despise just as much as humans: love. My script would take effect once I could detect a disgusting amount of love emanating from all of you brats... and that all happened three weeks ago..."

The battle-hardened veteran grew interested once again. "What happened three weeks ago?"

Suddenly, Linda, Pirachu, and the random dogoo jumped forward to attack the Deity of Sin. Hmm, did they actually believe that their strikes would work, or did they merely want to get a scene of their own too?

"Ah, even you fools tried a surprise attack. Do you not know who I am? WHAT I am?"

"Bow-wow-wooze!" Ugh... Why is that thing here?...

Underling flashed a cocky grin. "Don't particularly care. So, anyways, I gotta ask: What the hell did you need me and Geo for? I'm assumin' you pretended to be both Magic and Trick, right?"

Arfoire realized then that she had way too much to explain to too many people. The Deity of Sin, however, was not merely offering a crap-ton of exposition for the hell of it; Oh no, she was looking to catch our heroines off-guard. Even though her plans had crumbled all around her, she would attempt one last underhanded goal to achieve another chance at life.

But first, she would need two mouths...

"Linda, how rude of you to interrupt my talk with the brunette... But I can see that you both desire to speak with me. Why, if only I could be in two places at once... Ah, that's it!" Arfoire snapped her fingers, and a brown-haired young man appeared right in front of IF. It was a familiar face, one covered in bandages...

"G-Gino!? Leave him alone, Arfoire! He has nothing to do with you anymore!" The battle-hardened veteran shouted.

"I-It's alright, Miss IF... No one can escape their destiny, I suppose..." The boy said in resignation. "...IF, there's not much time for me left, but promise me one thing: Do not spare me my fate! I suspect what her intentions for me are, and for the sake of Gamindustri, you mustn't allow her to use me as her puppet! Use your discretion, and when the time is right, kill me! If you wait for just the right moment, maybe you can even defeat her for good..."

"I... I can't just kill you, ok... Hell, I still feel like crap for throwing that knife at that Hide bastard..."

"You don't understand: I won't be me for much longer. She's going to consume me, and use me to attack you! Please... I will feel better if you promise to stop me before I commit any further evil." Gino looked to the non-existent sky. "I don't belong in your world; None of us 'Operational Companions' do... We're outsiders, IF, created solely for destruction... Defeat at your hands is what I truly want..."

"Gino..."

Before the battle-hardened veteran could say something else, the brown-haired young man lurched, and began shaking viciously. Within moments, he began smirking. "Hehehe... Now, this is more convenient. Well, IF, where were we?"

The brunette was horrified at hearing Gino speak with Arfoire's voice. Seems the young man was correct; He really was consumed by the Deity of Sin.

However, Arfoire still stood before Linda's group. Ah, so she's using Gino's body to multitask her exposition; She can now say two different things at once. Seems complicated... Much like this whole plot, actually...

Gino spoke once more-... Nah, I can't call him that from this point forth, I guess; I mean, he's not himself anymore. I delegate the right to grant him a new title to myself. He shall now be known as 'G-foire!' ...That works, that works...

Okay, let's start again... G-foire spoke once more to the brunette. "Ah, yes, you asked about what occurred three weeks ago... Well let me explain." NOOOOOOOO! Please don't say more words!

However, at that moment, G-foire lashed out at the brunette, who swiftly leaped out-of-the-way. Man, I've said similar things like that a lot this installment... Nisa and Brave were immediately on the case, and raised their weapons.

"D-Don't kill him!" IF screamed. "Just... Let's just hold him off, or something. There's gotta be something we can do..."

"The brunette is right, you imbeciles; Killing this vessel will only sacrifice a poor, artificial soul... I won't be harmed..." The villain sneered.

"Grr... damn it all. You will get yours, Deity of Sin; I will see to that." Brave boasted. Nisa glared at G-foire, but stayed silent, weighing her options...

After a moment of settling down from the surprise attack, the battle-hardened veteran planned her next actions carefully.

"So, Arfoire, now that we know you're not that nimble..." IF began as she prepared to dodge another possible attack, "...get on with explainin'. Oh, and be sure to include what all that crap you're babblin' about love means. You promised, so please, enlighten us; I like a good brain-teaser when I'm kicking evil's ass!"

"Such a confident child... Hmph, that attack was merely to throw you off; I haven't seriously tried to kill you yet." G-foire snickered. "I did promise further explanation, so let's commence."

G-foire rubbed his hair, and took a deep breath. Uh oh, another long, clunky speech. "Three weeks ago, a couple of your goddess friends pronounced their love for each other. That large influx of latent emotion was the trigger my plan so desperately needed." IF immediately thought of Neptune and Noire, remembering how they were a couple now. It seems likely that two goddesses from separate landmasses going out with each other would leave a huge impact on the world; Just the type of setup that Arfoire could exploit and turn into a calamity.

The possessed man continued. "Not only did those two come together at that time, but two other couples as well... one of which involved you." The brunette glared strikingly at G-foire, feeling utter rage upon realizing how she and Lyrica had been involved in this from the very beginning. "I spent these past weeks working on a fantastic script that I would push each and every one of you towards. With all of that hideous love you three couples formed, I could power up my creations with ease. So, I used illusions on people like you, and even released a few of my weaker creations prematurely, all so I could get you girls right where I needed you to be."

G-foire struck at IF again with a concealed blade, but the brunette telegraphed the move beautifully. The villain continued speaking as he(?) repeatedly jabbed at the warrior. "For the most part, my plan miraculously stayed on course, within reason. However, there were a few unforeseen intrusions, most caused by some pesky young girl who doesn't belong in our world. For some reason, she thought it was necessary to unleash a horde of dragons on Lowee, causing that other putrid goddess to join the rest of my designated cast... Hmph, if only I had managed to track her down, perhaps I would have succeeded already."

"Heh, you got that right. I must admit, if it wasn't for... her, then you would have probably won. I guess you're just not that omniscient after all." IF didn't want to speak Red's name, in case it put her in danger. It seems Arfoire truly didn't know who was sabotaging her plans.

Nisa and Brave could only watch the fight and chat going on before them. The heroine of justice was feeling quite antsy. "Are you sure we shouldn't do anything? I mean, I am an upholder of the righteous! I must stop this evil-doer!"

"Patience, young heroine; Discretion is the better part of valor! This is IF's fight; Our time will arrive, be sure of that!"

Nisa nodded, taken in by the giant's sense of duty. She had never really associated with this former villain, so she was surprised by how honorable he was...

...

Meanwhile, the image of Arfoire studied Linda, Pirachu, the dogoo, and Nepgeo. After a short moment, she spoke up. "... So, you wanted to know why you were needed, correct?"

Underling, kind of surprised, could only lightly nod. "Y-Yeah... That's what I said..."

"Very well, although I do believe I told you already... I needed you and that ungrateful Nepgeo to break apart those two candidates... Only by destroying the love between them could I power my creations."

"Ah... That's kinda... Why? Why us?"

"Because I knew you two would be easy to manipulate; I know how irritatingly close you were to Magic, Linda, so I exploited you through that opening."

Underling growled unwittingly, and clenched her fists. "You bitch! How dare you use me and Magic like that! I-I'm gonna freakin' kill ya!" The ASIC member ran forward and slashed through Arfoire, but no damage was inflicted.

While that was happening, the quiet Nepgeo walked back into the spotlight and, wearing a stern expression, called out to the Deity of Sin. "Hey, Arfoire! Can I ask you something too?"

The Deity of Sin turned her head towards the purple-haired imposter and smiled somewhat sinisterly. Linda continued her attempts at attacking the villain, but she didn't seem to mind. "Hm, whatever could be on your mind, dear child?..."

"Don't play that cutesy crap! I know what you think of me; You were controlling Magic the entire time after all. Tell me... Am I really... a clone? Am I one of those disgusting young men?"

Arfoire chuckled darkly. "Why, my useless girl... Does it even matter?"

"...W-What?"

"Does it even matter? Whether you're a real girl with a past or some concoction I brewed up that is made out of shattered love; Is anything truly different either way?"

Nepgeo was confused, not quite sure what the villain was getting at. Linda immediately halted her hopeless assault and ran to the girl's side. "H-Hey! Don't keep letting her get to you! Listen, I know the truth, Geo, and I'll be damned if someone else interrupts me! So, here goes..."

And so Linda recounted that tale of her fateful day at the playground, where she had met and childishly fell in love with a beautiful young girl... A girl who had to be the purple-haired imposter.

Having finished her story, Underling embarrassedly looked away. "S-So, ya see... If I remember you from when I was a kid, then... there's no way that you're some artificial being hell-bent on taking my soul."

Nepgeo had been shocked to hear the words from Linda's mouth, and searched her clouded mind. Indeed, if she concentrated really hard, she could remember meeting a beautiful green-haired girl on the swings a long while back. Hell, that was back when she had lived on Lastation, before... her mother had taken her to Planeptune!

Hey, she could now remember her mother's smiling, but exhausted, face again! Could it be... Was she truly real? Was she panicking all for nothing?

The purple-haired imposter began to smile in slight relief, and looked to her comrades. Linda nodded warmly, though she still hid her face. Pirachu wagged his tail a bit, feeling awkward in the whole situation; He, like Linda, wasn't particular great at providing comfort or warmth...

"Bow-wooze! Bow-wooze!" The dogoo hopped happily at the whole scene, just completely enthused at being included in a group for once. Okay, I don't particularly care anymore, so I'll just say it: The dogoo's the one that's going to die.

Arfoire simply sniggered. "Such an amusing tale... And one I won't necessarily deny. But, dear Linda and Nepgeo... What if that memory is merely a scene I implanted into your thick skulls? Is there any true way to know?"

Nepgeo lifted her eyes to look directly at the Deity of Sin. "Y'know what, I really don't give a shit about what you have to say to me. I'd choose to listen to Lindy over you any day!"

"Heh... A predictable response from... a character like you..."

"W-What's that supposed to mean!?"

* * *

Another swing, another dodge... G-foire began to speak yet again (yet again): "Heh... So after all that planning, and with you all on your ways to the secluded game expo, I still had one more matter to deal with: Sure, the putrid love energy was now all in one place, but I had to find a way to release it. And what better way to disperse love energy then by shattering love in two!? For you, I hilariously made you and that insufferable idol fight each other on the way to Lastation! Once the rest was done, the weakling heroine over there pressed the button, unleashing all the built up energy, and transforming the game expo into the perfect high-school setting that would garner me countless amounts of worshippers! Brilliant, don't you agree?"

IF was taken aback. Was the Deity of Sin seriously saying what she thought she was saying? "Wait... So, you messed up not only my relationship with Lyree, but also my friends' relationships... for your own personal gain?"

"Not only that: I played with love like it was a game! I turned your entire world into my own sick, twisted fanfiction. I toyed with your minds, I created new characters that had no reason to exist, I temporarily created alternate universes, I made absurdly long chapters, and I even altered the mood dramatically from one point to the next. What was once such a light-hearted, fluffy tale has turned into an overly complicated story of angst and violence! I systematically controlled all of your actions, making you do whatever it was that I desired, no matter how implausible it all was!"

The battle-hardened veteran, the heroine of justice, and the former villainous behemoth were in awe at the Deity of Sin's utter madness. More than that, though, they were horrified; This devil willfully did whatever she wanted with the world. She had no pity, no mercy... She only knew destruction and chaos.

"H-How could you just... use us like that? What right do you have to play with feelings!? With our lives!?" IF shouted in frustration. You know what, I'm as pissed as she is right now!... All the more reason for me to fall back into self-loathing...

"Foolish child... I've made the world into my own fanfiction! I am an author now! Isn't manipulating characters to our own ends the entire point!? Isn't it an author's duty!?"

... Wha...? I... I can't fight with her logic... Why can't I disprove her insane ramblings?

... And by simply delivering this script to your ears, faithful viewers, I have been aiding the Deity of Sin all along. I had originally believed that I was worthless to this story, that I would have no effect on the fate of our heroines... Instead, the opposite has been confirmed: I'm the most important person here. By simply taking up this job, with the intention to both resist following the Deity of Sin and atone for my past sins, I have been doing her work all along...

I thought I had outsmarted her, but she has ultimately proven to be the winner... I am such a pathetic fool... Maybe I'm not cut out for this "Hero" thing...

...DAMN... DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN! DAMMIIIIT!

...Should I even keep going? I only put everyone at further risk if I continue...

... No! Wait, I can't leave now. Like it or not, IF and the rest of the group are still trapped in this horrifying dimension...

...I must help them... I doubt Arfoire would be expecting me of all people to interfere with her plans at this point... I'll continue chronicling these events for you at home, while simultaneously figuring out a way to help our dear heroines...

It's the least I could do after everything I've put them all through...

"You're insane! Nisa growled from the sidelines. G-foire chuckled amusedly, and launched another attack at the stunned brunette. Luckily, IF swerved out-of-reach of the blade, and resumed her swift maneuvers.

"It's not insane, you weakling; It's a fact! I am in charge of your world now. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players! And I'm the one pulling all the strings, as it should be..."

G-foire attempted another attack, but IF ducked out-of-the-way. "Oh yeah? So, if you're so high and mighty, why can't ya just kill me off already?"

The villain sneered, and lashed out with yet another inefficient strike. "Hmph... This vessel is not yet providing me with the maneuverability I require... But perhaps if I was alive..."

"What are you rambling on about now? I'm gettin' real tired of your crap!"

G-foire looked at IF, then Nisa, and then to Brave, and then became lost in thought. Finally, an epiphany struck the villain, and they began to run off. "I will be right back, IF; You desired more of a challenge, so I shall fetch you one!"

IF was shocked for a moment at seeing G-foire run off, but quickly shook off the awe and began the pursuit. "Hey, get back her, you scumbag!"

Nisa and Brave quickly shot each other bewildered looks, and engaged in the chase as well...

...

Back with Linda's group, the Deity of Sin was still attempting to harass the purple-haired imposter.

Arfoire gave a simple shrug at Nepgeo's question. "Again, as I said before, whether you're a human or a clone makes no difference; You're still an outsider. You do not belong with us."

Linda rolled her eyes. "Jeez, leave Geo the hell alone! And just why doesn't she belong, huh?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because none of you idiots officially know her. Before my script, not a single one of this entire cast even knew she existed. And yet, here comes this outsider from nowhere, who completely hijacks the entire story and even manages to capture the heart of one of the main characters." Arfoire grinned devilishly at Linda, who sneered in response. "Why, faithful readers have probably been wishing this whole time that she, too, is also a scientific creation. If she was confirmed to be one of my OCs, then everything would be much easier to swallow for everybody..."

"S-Stop it! No matter what you say, Nepgeo is not one of your fictional monsters, so just cut it out. C'mon, Geo... let's go find the others. They went off and disappeared again..." Linda grabbed the purple-haired imposter's hand, and began to walk off. "C'mon, ya rodent: Grab your dogoo and let's get the crap outta here..."

Nepgeo leaned her head against Underling's shoulder. "I really am an outsider, aren't I? She is right: I wasn't ever included in any of you guys' adventures..."

"H-Hey, don't say that! Look, I have a fuzzy memory, but... I'm certain you were at least an NPC, or something! Arfoire's just a big ole' crackpot! And besides..." The ASIC member's face burned a bright red, "...I prefer you to the rest of those runts anyways..."

The imposter Nepgear smiled and kissed Linda's cheek. "You... really mean that, Lindy?"

"Yeah... I do." With that, the two embraced, now confident of one thing: If the universe didn't approve of them being together, then the universe could go shove it. Whether Nepgeo was real or one of the Deity of Sin's OCs didn't matter; She made Underling happy. I guess sometimes, you just gotta accept things for what they are...

* * *

**Book Three: Bloody Destiny**

"Hello, Judge... It's been quite some time..."

"... What do you want...?"

"My my... I don't remember you speaking so calmly, Judge... Whatever has come over you?"

"...Fine... What do you want... BITCH!?"

Strange... Judge seems disturbingly... different now. He no longer exhumes pure rage and malice. This is... odd, but I believe I can still use him...

"I am here to request your assistance, Judge... Do not worry, it requires very little thinking."

He lifts his gargantuan head, and I see that his eyes no longer hold unbridled fury. Judge probably isn't even thinking about killing me right now; A truly horrifying thought.

"Wha...What can I possibly help you with? Even I am smart enough to know that I will only be a hindrance to whatever it is you're planning..."

What the? An actual coherent sentence? The Judge I know should have responded with "Do I get to kill people, you hideous skank!? I really wanna RIP THOSE GIRLS APART AND CHUG DOWN THEIR BONES LIKE LITTLE POTATO CHIPS!"

...Ugh, I do that too well...

"No, no... You could never be a hindrance to me, fair Judge. All you must do is take this blank sheet of paper... and narrate the chapter titles that magically appear. Easy..."

Immediately, the behemoth before me began thrashing about like a caged animal. "N-No! I... I can't do a thing like that! I can't narrate; You'll have to find someone else!"

"Judge, calm down! What is wrong; Why can't you accept this task?"

"I... I'm not fit to show myself to the world! I'm a horrible creäture! All those poor souls... All that rage... To merely walk the hallowed earth of Gamindustri would be an affront to all its inhabitants!"

How... How can this be? Is Judge feeling remorse!? What is going on? ...Is he one of those OOCs I kept hearing about in my travels? How dare these figments of my soul exhibit such behavior!

...I don't even want to merge his soul back with mine... A coward like him has no place to be a part of my being once again...

...Hm, so I'll just make Brave into the Narrator: I fear he will resist if I attempt to make him commit violent acts against the girls, so a role like that should be safe enough...

Still... Perhaps I can use Judge for something else... Heh, as odd as it sounds, maybe I can get him to provide some personality to my script...

"Hm... So be it... But what if I gave you a job that involved no direct communication with the real world? Could you accept that?"

"Wha... What do you have in mind...?"

"The task is similar to a narrator's, but no one will know you are there. In fact, the only people you will be addressing are the readers at home, and they will be too distracted to even care who is telling them the story. So, what do you say?"

Judge looked down in thought... Ugh, I liked him better when he was a pure killing machine. "...I... No! You can't expect me to say yes! I... I will not help you..."

"...Ok, then, Judge... Do as you wish. I will leave you to your own devices, then..."

"Y-Yeah you will!... G-Get out of here already...!"

Ugh... How truly pathetic... What is going on with the world? Is everyone gaining a conscience, or something?

Heh... but I wonder if good ole Judge will ever suspect my trap I laid for him. In a few moments, he will realize that his bindings have been loosened...

Ah, yes... and in due time, he will begin to read my script aloud, probably believing that he is resisting my every will... He will be blissfully unaware that he still serves me, forever and always...

Still, it pains me that my vessels are... so different now. Oh well... If this plan succeeds, then the whole world will be gone soon...

Ah, that thought makes me, dare I say it... happy...

...

* * *

Arfoire began laughing hysterically as Linda started walking off with her party. "Foolish Linda! Do you honestly think escaping will be that easy? Ha! Well, watch this!"

Linda once again rolled her eyes. "Jeez, she doesn't know when to quit. To think I spent so much time helping to revive her... How disappointing, y'know?"

Nepgeo grinned sheepishly. "Tell me about it. There were so many better ways I could have gotten a paycheck..."

"I don't know... Should we really turn our backs to her, Chump? I don't trust it." Pirachu asked, occasionally taking cautious glances behind him.

"Boooooooow-Woooooooooooze!" The dogoo yawned as it followed behind the group.

Meanwhile, G-foire was still running, when she finally found her target: Linda's group. IF, however, was quickly catching up.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doin'?" The battle-hardened veteran shouted at the villain.

G-foire flashed a grin back towards the brunette. "I will be a much more competent fighter if I place my entire soul inside of this vessel... All I have to do is claim a single outside life..."

"Yeah, you're losing me again. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, I forgot you're an idiot. It means that I can temporarily live on in full inside of this young man if I kill one person. It won't be a perfect revival, but it will be decent enough to give you the violent death you deserve!" Uh oh, that's not good. So, to reiterate: If G-foire claims one single soul, then the Deity of Sin can be fully integrated into the body of Gino. As she said, it won't be a permanent fusion, but she will essentially be revived once again. Her power levels will most likely be off the charts if that happens!

...Wait, but who can she actually manage to kill? That's been no simple task so far...

Linda's group continued walking, when the sound of fast-approaching footsteps came into earshot. Before anyone could look behind them, a slashing sound rang through the air... No wait... more precisely, it was the sound of a knife slashing through something... Oh dear!

Linda's eyes widened as she saw that G-foire was now in front of the group, positioned as if he/she had just performed a sliding slash. However, Underling was not harmed. She frantically turned her head, and was relieved to see that Nepgeo, too, was unharmed. That only left two possibilities...

"Bow-Wooze!" The dogoo shouted as he exploded after a dramatic delay. Pirachu cowered in fear as the creäture vanished before his very eyes.

"No! Mr. Dogoo!" Nepgeo cried.

G-foire grabbed his/her face and began laughing maniacally for the millionth time. "Yes! Oh, you bitches are in for it now!"

IF cursed herself as she made it to Linda's group too late. The dogoo had been killed by G-foire; That was all the soul she needed. "Crap! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"

The spirit of Arfoire that had been floating nearby transformed into a dark mist, and flew right into G-foire's mouth. The whole odd process took less than 10 seconds. Once it was over, everyone just stood there and watched, too confused to take any action.

Right when they least expected it, though, the young man's eyes opened, and his face contorted with pure rage. "...Now, you all die!"

Brave and Nisa readied themselves for a vicious fight.

"Everyone! This will be the final battle! Steel yourselves!" The mech-like being boldly declared.

...

* * *

_**[To Be Concluded...]**_


	6. Act V, Scene 2: An Die Freude

_Previously, on **Much Ado About**** Nothing**..._

_Things happened, Brave became his own man, dogoos exploded, Arfoire fused with a teenage boy, and some readers probably got confused... _

_Now... an excerpt:_

_[IF cursed herself as she made it to Linda's group too late. The dogoo had been killed by G-foire; That was all the soul she needed. "Crap! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"_

_The spirit of Arfoire that had been floating nearby transformed into a dark mist, and flew right into G-foire's mouth. The whole odd process took less than 10 seconds. Once it was over, everyone just stood there and watched, too confused to take any action._

_Right when they least expected it, though, the young man's eyes opened, and his face contorted with pure rage. "...Now, you all die!"_

_Brave and Nisa readied themselves for a vicious fight._

_"Everyone! This will be the final battle! Steel yourselves!" The mech-like being boldly declared.]_

_...And now, for our regularly-scheduled program..._

_..._

* * *

**Chapter 13: Final Decisive Battle**

IF, Nisa, Brave, Linda, Nepgeo, Pirachu... Against all odds and expectations, these souls were destined to either defeat Arfoire once again, or to be destroyed entirely by the Deity of Sin's massive power. Oh man, this could get ugly... I better think of something fast!

The newly reinvigorated Deity of Sin immediately sprang forth and slashed at the brunette, who barely made it away in time; A single strand of her hair was sliced off, in order to reinforce that cliché yet again. Even though it wasn't a full revival, the villain was much more faster and stronger than before.

"S-Shit, she almost got me there..." IF winced. She wondered just what to do next, when she remembered what Gino had said:

_"Use your discretion, and when the time is right, kill me! If you wait for just the right moment, maybe you can even defeat her for good..."_

"Dammit... I can't kill you, Gino..." The battle-hardened veteran whispered. It wasn't her nature to kill helpless individuals.

"Stop moving!" G-foire mk2 shouted, and she leapt towards the brunette once more. This time, however, her blade was deflected by Nisa's Prinny gun.

"Nice try, evil-doer, but you stand no chance against this heroine of justice!" The two proceeded to dramatically continue their weapons-lock as Brave walked up to the brunette. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder... How does he do that gently?

"I know you are troubled, child, but there is only one thing we can do: We must strike down the Deity of Sin's vessel."

"B-But, I... I can't just willingly kill someone, especially when they're being possessed!"

"The body is all that remains of that boy you once knew; His very soul has become a part of Arfoire now... In fact, perhaps that was all he ever truly was. The least you can do is save him from his torment. Only by eliminating him can we defeat Arfoire... and he can know peace."

Deep inside, IF knew Brave was right. Like it or not, Gino was built for one purpose: To eventually become a part of his creator. His destiny was decided while he was still in a tube, and while he tried to fight it, the outcome was inevitable... You just can't defeat the Deity of Sin.

She needed to honor the poor soul who had never really done anything sinister at all. When your whole reason for existing is to bring death to humanity, not committing a bad deed is pretty impressive.

It was decided: G-foire mk2 would fall, right then and there.

"...Yeah... Let's do this guys; It's what Gino wanted! Give Arfoire hell!" The battle-hardened veteran hollered.

"No objections there." Linda said, flexing her arms.

"This is for Mr. Dogoo!" Nepgeo growled, striking a pose fitting of a martial artist.

As Nisa continued to distract the villain, the rest of the party snuck up to surround them both. With G-foire mk2 caught off-guard, everyone reached out and grabbed onto her arms.

"Wh-What are you cowards doing!? Unhand me!" The Deity of Sin screamed in pure rage.

"I thought you were supposed to be strong, Arfy... What, can't even push us off?" Linda teased.

"Grrr... You bitches. I'll enjoy searing the flesh off of your bones!" G-foire mk2 snarled, and proceeded to blast everybody fifty feet in the air...

...Actually, no, that didn't happen... G-foire mk2 merely tried to shake off her opponents, but they continued to hold on tight. Why isn't she... winning, I guess? This is Arfoire we're talking about. If she revived even somewhat, shouldn't she be an unstoppable killing machine?

Huh... Has becoming an author driven Arfoire... insane? Is all that remains of her some rabid, corrupted shipper?

...She's even crazier than before! Writing this whole script has destroyed any scrap of sanity she ever had!

...And, er... something's been bothering me this whole time; Um, maybe you've thought about this too? ...If Arfoire's the writer of this script I'm reciting, then why... is it still continuing? Couldn't she have stopped this all before it even began?

So what, are there rules that an author must follow, no matter how convoluted? Hm, or could the villain merely be toying with our heroines? ...No, that can't be it...

...! Or... What if Arfoire's no longer in charge of this script? But... then who could possibly be writing this all...?

W-Who could have the power to hijack the role of author? A behind-the-scenes hero, or... a mysterious villain!? Oh dear... I'm creepin' myself out here...

"Why... Why can't I knock you fools away!?" The Deity of Sin gaped in horror.

"Arfoire... I know you say you've revived, and I do acknowledge that you did become slightly faster... But you still only claimed a dogoo's soul to complete the process. Hell, you only took over a teenage boy's body; Gino never really looked like an invincible giant..." IF declared, enjoying being able to push the villain's buttons.

"No! I am the Almighty Deity of Sin! You will unhand me at once!"

Everyone looked at each other, and nodded. "Fine, we'll all let you go." Nisa shrugged, and at once, everyone leapt away from the villain.

"Heh... that's more like it. Now... FACE MY WRATH!" At that, G-foire mk2 hopped high into the air, and fell towards IF.

"Sorry Gino..." The battle-hardened veteran whispered. "Now, Brave!"

"What was th-" G-foire mk2 began, but was silenced when a giant flaming sword burst through her stomach. "...Br...a..ve..."

"...Heh, not so 'Almighty' now, are we? From this day forth, fiend, I shall rise against you whenever your disgraceful soul resurfaces. You have dominion over me no longer, Deity of Sin." Brave declared, and then dramatically pulled out the weapon from the once-Gino's stomach.

"W-Well... That was simple... A-And brutal..." Nisa said, surprised at the harshness of the finishing blow. Indeed... For a final boss, that was rather... lackluster...

...So what? All that build up, just for the villain to be cut down in seconds?

...Was this all part of the possible new author's plan?

G-foire mk2 fell to the ground, and the dark mist journeyed out of the poor boy's body. Before it dispersed back into nothingness, Arfoire's soul hissed out one last warning. "Hmph... You must be so proud of yourselves right now... And you, Brave... I'm SO disappointed in you... Oh well, savor your victory while it lasts; I'm taking you all with me!"

Arfoire vanished, and the non-existent ground began to shake once again. This time, however, something wasn't about to appear. Oh no, this time, something would be vanishing: The entire non-existent room itself! Crap! They're gonna be sucked into the nothingness!

"Shit! Everyone, run like hell!" Linda shouted, taking Nepgeo by the hand and putting Pirachu on her shoulder.

"Damn... We must hurry indeed... Although I do not know of a way out of here..." Brave said, rather depressingly.

"W-What!? You don't know the way out?" Nisa cried. IF pressed her hand to her forehead.

"I am sorry... I only know that the Deity of Sin was able to create a way in and out of this area when she was controlling us... I was earnestly assuming that a doorway out would appear once we finished her off..." What, is every single plan in this story merely the heroes pulling off several Indy Ploys?

"Damn, this isn't good." IF cursed, and then she gasped: The ground was crumbling beneath her feet. "Ah, crap! Go save yourselves!" The brunette began falling, but the mech-like being caught her just in time.

"Heroine of Justice, go with the others! We will catch up with you in due time!" Brave shouted. Nisa could only shake her head, and ran with the intention of helping IF as well. The mech shot her a look, but then turned back to the dangling battle-hardened veteran. "Do not let go. I will pull you up!"

Suddenly, the non-existent ground beneath CFW Brave crumbled, and he began falling as well. Fortunately, his empty hand managed to grab onto the remaining portion of the floor(?). Both he and the battle-hardened veteran were now dangling over the side. Nisa could only watch in horror.

"Just... Just hold on! This heroine will think of... something... hopefully..." The flatty heroine will be no help, I fear...

Oh man, I'm running out of time! I... Damn, what do I do? I need to save them!

Shit, Brave is slipping! No... NOOOOO!

"Did you hear that?" IF asked, trying to get her mind off of the prospect of dying via falling into nothingness.

"Yeah... I just heard something..." The heroine pondered. "...Yeah! It just said the word 'pondered'!"

"Hm... I believe I, too, hear distant talking..." Brave remarked. "There! Someone said something again!"

Crap, now they're going insane. Damn, damn, damn...

"Who's swearing? Man, the last thing I'm gonna hear is some angry voice from the heavens. How delightful..."

...! What the? Let me shout some more... BRAVE! IF! PLEASE HOLD ON!

"A-Ah!? Who's there!? C-Can you help us out? The ground's falling again!"

They can hear me?... They can hear me! Then... If I can communicate with them, then they must be in the same resident area as this sound-booth. That means that... I can open a door outta here! Yeah, I can send them through the same door Linda used when she was here earlier...

"What was that? I didn't quite catch that!"

Fear not, IF! I got this!

"Holy... Brave, beneath us! Look!"

"Hmm... I can only assume that is an exit. How peculiar... It appears we have a guardian angel watching over us..."

Fall into it! Yes, you too, Nisa! It should take you back to the game expo! You all did very well today; I think it's time that you got some rest!

"Y-Yeah... Thanks... whoever you are. Hey, you sound kinda familiar. Do I know you?"

Ha ha... You wouldn't know me for who I am today, fair IF... I just want to say upfront that I am sorry for any trouble I may have caused you or your friends before. Ah, and Brave... Good job sticking it to ol' Arfoire! I knew you had it in ya!

"Wh-Wha? Trouble you caused? Damn, everyone's so cryptic today!"

Some questions are better left unanswered, IF. Perhaps one day, we will meet again... When I am a much stronger man... After I've atoned for all of my sins. Oh, and do not worry: I will get the others back safe and sound!

"O-Ok, then... If you say so..." With that, both Brave and IF dropped themselves into the portal out of this cursed realm. Nisa remained, visibly frightened at the prospect of leaping into the strange portal.

"Uhh... I can still hear you, you know... A-And I am not frightened!"

There is nothing to fear, dear heroine... But may I ask one thing before you leave?

"A-Ask me? Uh, ok, sure. Shoot, Mr. Disembodied Voice."

Is it... possible for anyone to pick up a life of justice and virtue. Even a... fiend... like me?

"Hmm? Why, however could you think of yourself as a fiend? I don't know who you are, but if you're seriously saving our lives here, then you must have a heart of virtue!"

Well, I... I've done some hideous things in a... past life, and I fear no amount of repentance will make up for my cruel deeds.

"Mr. Disembodied Voice... I'm sure that even villains can live a life of virtue... as long as they are willing to set aside their evil ways for the greater good."

T-Thank you, fair heroine... Your words touch me greatly... Now, I've wasted too much of your time; You should escape before it's too late.

"Yes, I fear there is not much time left... Well, until we meet again, Mr. Disembodied Voice! May our paths cross again!" With that, she leaps into the portal...

...If even a warrior of the righteous believes a forsaken soul like me can live a heroic life, then there may just be hope for me yet!

...Ah, and isn't it ironic: To think that I'd actually have to save some of the girls who originally murdered me? Isn't destiny beautiful?

Till we meet again, Battle-Hardened Veteran; Heroine of Justice...

Ah, but now's not the time to become sentimental; I still have to help Linda's group!

...Okay, I found you guys! Do not fear, I am here to save you!

"Huh? Yo, rodent, you say something?"

"Hm? No, I thought that was you, Chump... Sounded kinda gruff, though..."

"You're not goin' crazy on us, are ya Lindy?"

Oh, none of you are crazy... Just one moment... Aha! There you go.

"Wh... Another portal? Oh, I see... okay, thought I recognized your voice. Thanks Jud-"

Shh! Linda, not another word! It's not time.

"Eh, gotcha... Almost forgot. Well, thanks, then... C'mon, let's go home."

"Sure thing, Lindy... You know what, I'm feelin' pretty hungry. We should get somethin' to eat... You know, in Mr. Dogoo's honor."

"Ooh! Can we stop and get some cheese?"

"Ugh..."

And... there they go! Whew, crisis averted. Well, only one thing to do now...

Let's get out of here, faithful viewers! We have a story to finish!

...

* * *

**Book Finale: Let Butterflies Spread Until the Dawn**

Everything's set... All we need to do is wait.

Ah, my lovely creations... With these Operational Companions, I shall finally claim this world as my own...

Ha, yes... These brown-haired young men shall invade this story, shattering readers' expectations. They shall appear out of nowhere, and ensnare the hearts of those insufferable girls... The shock of new additions to the cast will create curiosity, if nothing else. Why, perhaps even some readers will root for one of my OCs to eventually get together with one of those foolish sluts.

When the time is right, I will transform that game expo into a realm that so many fanfictions utilize to garner more fans: High-school. I will create my own alternate universe that will be worshipped by all! The more shippers I claim through the school setting and my creations, the more power I will gain...

And if one of them manages to succeed in their goal... to capture the lips of their designated target, and make their relationship the strongest in all of fanon... then the world will officially be mine...

Everyone will finally die... I will destroy everything...

Heh heh... I have named each individual OC as if they were my very own children. For the most part, their names are mere references to characters that I have come across in my extensive studies of other universes... I am truly a clever one indeed...

Ah... And yet, there is one creation missing... That of which is supposed to target dear Linda... Oh my, I do wonder where they ran off to...

...It pities me to say, but I wholeheartedly have no recollection of what that specimen was named. You see, I brew that one up first, just to spite the treacherous feelings that had swelled up in Magic; I wanted Linda to die horribly right off the bat. In my rage... Well, let's just say that this particular OC is most likely nothing like the others. They were a failed prototype, and frankly, I don't even remember what gender it was. If I came upon them in my travels, I doubt I could even recognize them...

...Hm, but perhaps I can use that ambiguity to my advantage; The most crucial key in being an effective chess master is using everything you can to get what you want. Heh heh... And I am the greatest bluffer there is...

...And no matter what happens, even if my script that hinges upon the actions of idiotic little girls fails spectacularly... I will have a backup plan... It may take weeks, months, or maybe even a year or two... but I will figure something out...

It's all about timing and patience...

Let the games begin...

* * *

...

...

Ah, there you are! Whew, I thought I lost you there for a moment... I couldn't detect your life-force for a minute, just like what happened earlier! Where the hell'd you go?

...Did you see anything important?

...Nah, that doesn't matter at this point! Come, our heroines are over there; Let's go drop on by and see how this all ends.

**Finale: Never More**

IF slowly opens her eyes and briefly looks around the room. It wasn't hers, that's for certain. She was about to sit up, but realized to her dismay that she was already standing... running, in fact. "Wha-What the crap!?" She came to a sliding stop just before tumbling into a girl who was standing right in her path. "Damn... Uh, sorry ma'am... I didn't mean-"

The girl turned around, her beautiful blue hair trailing behind her. Upon seeing the battle-hardened veteran, her eyes began to sparkle. "I-IF!? Oh, IF, I've been looking everywhere!"

"L-Lyree!?" The brunette was stunned as Gamindustri's pop idol pulled her in for a massive hug.

"I... I thought I lost you, IF... You didn't come back with everyone else, and I got real scared..."

"Hey! Hey... It's alright... It's all over now..." The brunette stroked her love's hair. "Lyree... I'm gonna say it again, but... I love you. I'd give my life for you, y'know?"

The two looked into each other's eyes and saw the undying affection between them. IF couldn't resist; Lovingly, she brought her lips to the idol's, and their love was sealed!

Meanwhile, Nisa opened her eyes, but did not find herself in the horrific secret laboratory; No, she was now lying on the ground at the game expo, directly in front of Gust's booth. That's awfully convenient... Wait! I'm the one who made the portal back here! It's because of me that such conveniences can occur! Marvelous!

"Nisa? What you doing down there? Gust was looking all over for you!"

"My faithful sidekick...? Just where are we now? Did we make it back home?"

"Hmm? This is Gust's booth at game expo, silly!"

The heroine of justice stared at Gust for a second, then grinned. "Ah, so we made it back home, and the day is saved once more! How I love the smell of justice in the morning!"

"Nisa? Are you okay? You're scaring Gust a little..." The alchemist cocked her head to the side.

"Yes, my dear sidekick, everything is well!" Nisa sprang to her feet and held out her hand to her friend. "Hey, how about we celebrate by finding a game to play!? There must be something good at this expo..."

"H-Hey! Gust is working now! Who will watch booth?"

Nisa's shoulders shrank in visible disappointment. That's right, her best friend was busy right now. Pity; After all the crap she's been through these past few days, she had hoped to spend some time with her. "O-O-Oh, okay... If you're busy, than I understand... Well, see you later, Gust..."

The heroine began to walk away down-castedly, when she felt a slight tug on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Gust clutching onto her, giving off an annoyed expression.

"M-Maybe Gust can play one game..." The alchemist bashfully declared. Nisa's face lit up, and she pumped her fists in the air.

"Then let's go have fun, fair sidekick!" Nisa then took Gust's hand, and the two sprinted off into the crowd.

"For the last time... Gust is not sidekick!"

* * *

Linda slowly opened her eyes, and found herself wrapped in Nepgeo's arms on the bathroom floor... Though they were both dressed, mind you! W-Why did I send them back here? Uh, well... Ah! Because it was the last place they had spent time together before all this shit hit the fan! Yeah, that's why...

"G-Geo? You awake?" Underling whispered. The purple-haired imposter simply nodded, then pulled the green-haired woman closer. "...Ok." She softly replied back, then surrendered herself to the hug.

"Um... What are you two doing, Chump?"

The two girls' loving moment was disrupted by Pirachu's annoying little voice. They instantly sprang up and pretended to not know what he was talking about.

"Uh, nothing, ya little rodent! W-Why are you even in here? Isn't this the women's bathroom?" Underling flusterly retorted.

"I woke up here, and you two were hugging, Chump. Hey, how do you two even know each other, anyway?"

"Ah... We'll tell you some other time, Mr. Mousey... C'mon, let's go back to our hotel, or something..." Nepgeo said, helping Linda off the ground and placing Pirachu on her shoulder.

"Hey! Only Compa can call me that! Hm... Where is my darling angel... Chump?"

With that, the three remnants of ASIC left the game expo.

* * *

Well, that was all the people that came from the non-existent realm... apart from Brave, that is. Hm, where did that man get to?

...Oh, who cares; He knows what he's doing.

But I'm sure you're dying to know what became of the other main characters, aren't you? Let's find out...

Neptune and Noire had found themselves in a quiet section of the game expo; The mobile games section, it seemed. The two were huddled together lovingly.

"Geez, Neptune... To spring that all on me at such a weird time! I mean, we were in an evil alternate universe; Our lives could have been at stake!" Lady Black Heart remarked, trying to dispel her embarrassment.

"Aw, c'mon Noiwey, you know me! I'm a sucker for weird timing and stuffs! And, hey... You didn't have to say yes~"

Hm...? Ah, another flashback! Let's see what it could possibly be...

_Lady Purple Heart escorted her lover out of the crowded gymnasium, humming happily to herself._

_"H-Hey, uhm, Neptune... Where are we going?" Noire asked, slightly confused. Planeptune's goddess appeared to merely be taking her out of the people-filled room, but something about her just seemed... off. The ditz appeared to have an ulterior motive, or something..._

_"Oh, nowheres in particular, Noiwey... I do have a surpwise for ya, though!" Neptune looked at the tsundere and shot her an extremely large smile._

_"There's that mention of a surpwise ag- SURPRISE again! We could be attacked by another creep at any second, you ditz! Just... Just give me the surprise already, or... just shut up!"_

_"Tsk tsk tsk... So impatient you are, Noiwey... But fine, since you've been a good girl and all that..." Neptune began stroking the tsundere's hair, causing her to flinch slightly. "So, like, d'you remember me sayin' that I planned to escape from you no matter what? Well... That was so I could get you this!"_

_With that, the ditz reached into her side-pocket and pulled out a tiny box. Before Lady Black Heart could register what was going on, Lady Purple Heart was down on one knee._

_"I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange?" Neptune proclaimed in a poetic fashion. The tsundere thought for a moment, then shook her head in confusion._

_"...What?"_

_The ditz playfully rubbed the back of her head. "Haha... sorry. I read that on the internet somewhere, and it sounded dramatic..." At once, she turned serious- at least more serious than Neptune usually is._

_She spoke more sincerely this time... Eh, kinda... "Noiwey... I'm not usually the one who gets all sappy and stuff, but I gotta say: These past weeks we spent together have been, like, the most awesomesaucest thing ever! So, I've been thinkin', why shouldn't we make everyday from now on as awesomesauce as possible? I mean, who doesn't like awesomesauce!?"_

_Noire was still slightly confused (probably from the overabundance of awesomesauce), but somewhere deep inside, she began to realize just what was happening. "N-Neptune... What are you saying...?"_

_"Tee hee... Noiwey... Will you marry me?" The ditz opened up the small box, and a golden ring crowned with a blue emerald(?) could be seen. Oh my!_

_Lady Black Heart was virtually speechless; Could this truly be happening? Was Neptune, the free-spirited and dense goddess of Planeptune, seriously proposing? "N-Neptune? Is this really happening right now...?"_

_"Yesseroni, Noire! I fweakin' love ya, babe! So... what do you say?"_

_"I...I... Jeez, you ditz... T-This is so sudden! We... We haven't even told everyone that we're going out yet!"_

_"Well, don't you like the idea of totally stunnin' everyone? I mean, saying that we're getting married is one rad opening line!"_

_The tsundere's face was now entirely red, and she tried to avoid Neptune's large, adorable eyes. After a moment of letting everything sink in, though, she was finally ready to answer..._

_"N-Neptune... Y-Y-Yes, of course I'll marry you, ya idiot!" Noire still attempted to dodge her lover's gaze, but she found that she was drawn into the beautiful orbs. "I... I love you."_

_Lady Purple Heart's entire being lit up, and she immediately sprang up and glomped her dear tsundere. "Aw, I love you too, Noire!... So, does this make me the husband?"_

_"Heh... You really know how to spoil the mood..."_

_"But that's why you love me, Noiwey!"_

...

"Ha, I'm such a player, aren't I?"

"S-Shut up!"

The two were so caught up in the moment that they both failed to notice the young girl that had overheard their little chatting. "What the goodness!? You're getting married!?"

"A-Ah! N-Nep Jr, I didn't see ya there! Y-You want some candy? I think I gots some in me little pocket..."

Noire bashed Neptune upside the head. "Neptune... I think it's time. We got no reason to hide anything anymore. Besides," The tsundere nodded in Nepgear's direction, "I think Nepgear here has something to reveal as well..."

Lady Purple Heart's ears perked up upon hearing that. "Ooh... Nep Jr. has a secret? Ooh, ooh, tell me, tell me!"

The purple-haired candidate blushed, and turned to look behind her. "Uni... Come on, it's time..."

"O-Ok..." With that, Lastation's CPU Candidate walked into view, looking quite flustered. "Hey sis... Neptune... How's it... going?"

"Hey, Noiwey's sis! Boy, do we have news for you!..."

And with that, Neptune and Noire confirmed that not only were the two of them dating, but they were now engaged to be married. In return, Nepgear and Uni both revealed that they, too, were in love, which came as a huge surprise to the purple-haired ditz.

"Hmm... So, my sis is totally shackin' with your sis, Noire! That's... kinda awesome, actually."

Nepgear's eyes brightened. "You... You really mean it, sis? So, you're okay with all this?... And, wait, what did you mean by 'shackin'!?"

"Of course I'm cool with the whole shebang, Nep Jr; I'm just relieved that you're not dating some hairy creep with groupies still in prison! C'mon, give lil' ol' me a hug, you two!" Neptune sprang forth and locked the candidates in a viscious hug. The young lovers could only hug her back.

"H-Hey!... I want to be in the hug too..." Whispered Noire, begrudgingly feeling left out. Slowly, she walked up to the embracing girls and lightly wrapped her arms around them.

Lo! All is well with these siblings, now forever bound by love!

* * *

"Vert, Chika, come on. It's late; We need to get back to the ship." Cave sighed, motioning for the two Leanbox rulers to leave the exhibit they were currently engrossed by.

"Ah, but Cavey: The butlers were just about to take off each other's shirts~" The oracle whined.

The SMD warrior sighed even more potently. "Just what the hell kind of games do they display here? Listen, we've been here long enough; If we hurry now, we can make it back by morning... Besides, I don't want to risk another incident happening again." Hm, so Cave also remembers the high-school universe. Strange... Did she even make a single passing appearance in that chapter?

Lady Green Heart smiled at Chika. "Cave is right, Chika. Perhaps we should call it a night."

"Awwwww... Okay Vert, if you say so..." Defeated, Chika began heading towards the exit of the game expo. Cave shook her head and followed after her.

Before Lady Green Heart could leave, however, her eyes came upon IF and 5pb. Smiling softly, she waved to the couple. "Ah, Miss IF and Miss Lyrica! We were just getting ready to leave. Come; I'll escort you back, if you don't mind..."

The battle-hardened veteran looked to the pop idol for an answer; The blue-haired girl nodded in the affirmative. IF smiled, and responded "Yeah, we'd be honored for you to accompany us, Lady Vert!"

"Ah, perfect! Let us be off, then." With Vert leading the way, IF and 5pb left the game expo's once-crowded halls hand-in-hand...

Leading the group, Cave slowly looked at Lyrica from the corner of her eye. Seeing her so happy gave the SMD warrior a warm feeling in her heart...

...And also the feeling of intense jealousy... But that, alas, is for another day...

...

...Ah, but there is one last heroine who has yet to leave the game expo. C'mon, we need to see her last appearance in this story...

As the crowds began to thin out, the security guards were turned loose, and were finally allowed to go home. One, however, did not immediately leave... No, she was on a mission...

"Hey, I'm looking for someone by the name of Nepgeav... Do you know her?" Falcom asked several random passer-by's, desperation in her eyes.

"Uh, do you mean Nepgear? Isn't she the candidate on Planeptune?"

"Ah, no... It's just a similar name. They do kinda look like each other, though!"

"Oh... Well, in that case, I've no idea."

"I-I see... Thank you anyways, fair patron!" The stock adventuress bowed her head respectfully, then continued her search elsewhere. Oh dear... Why, I do believe Nepgeo has broken this poor girl's mind. The purple-haired imposter came out of nowhere and showed Falcom things she never knew existed before. Even worse, she got the young girl all worked up, and then walked away without much fanfare.

Hell, she didn't even leave a way for the short-haired girl to contact her. Talk about a tease...

Still, Falcom, who was ignorant of everything that had happened today, was determined to find the purple-haired imposter... Even though she had only been given her stage name.

Hmm... What the hell is this set-up for? It's like there's gonna be a follow-up story, or something...

Oh well... Everything in due time, I guess...

...And so spells the end of this fateful game expo on Lastation. Man, I could have never guessed how much trouble would revolve around this one building...

Hm, so, just to be clear... Was this whole expo designed to be a complete cover-up for Arfoire's evil scheme, or was it just an unfortunate pawn in the Deity of Sin's master plan? Perhaps the world will never know...

* * *

"Miss Nepgear! You're... back!"

"Why, hello there, Rom! Are you feeling better?"

"Yep!" Upon entering Noire's house, Nepgear was immediately swarmed by the two little girls that had been left at home. Guess they had to squeeze in one final cameo, huh?

"You better have brought us some cool souvenirs!" Ram demanded, her arms crossed.

"Of course! Here..." Huh? I don't remember Nepgear ever buying souvenirs for the lolis. Guess it must have been off-screen...

Oh well... After a few more minutes of chatting, the twins grew tired, and were escorted to bed by Mina. Sorry Mina fans: She doesn't have any further lines in this story. Maybe a future installment...?

Nepgear and Uni said goodnight to the two children, then kissed each other innocently. Upon finishing the embrace, the girls yawned.

"Today sure was hectic, huh? Think we should check out for the night?" Uni asked, exhaustion prevalent in her features.

"Yeah, that sounds nice; I'm really tired out..." The purple-haired candidate replied. At that, the two girls climbed the stairs to Uni's room, their heads pressed close together the entire time.

Noire and Neptune, who had been standing nearby the entire time, smiled.

"Awwwwwww! Aren't they just the most pwecious wittle things you've ever seen?" Lady Purple Heart squeed.

"They do look cute together..." Noire observed. Before she could say anything else, though, her eyes caught sight of the one person she truly wanted to see. "Ah! Neptune, look: It's Kei. Shall we... go tell her now?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Sure, why not? Let's go shock the pants off of her!"

"I don't really want to go that far..." The tsundere swallowed her reservations, and resolutely walked up to Lastation's oracle. Kei's hair was still slightly unkempt; Quite an unusual sight for the normally professional-looking woman. In fact... something about her very persona seems different. It's almost as if she is glowing...

Kei noticed the goddess walking over and, after quickly evening out her hair, nodded in acknowledgement. "Ah, hello Noire... What do you need?"

* * *

"Oh no, what should Gust do!? The ship to Lowee will have gone already!" The alchemist cried upon seeing the dark night sky. She and Nisa had spent a little too much time playing games, and lost track of the passing hours. Now, her ride back to the frozen landmass was gone, and she was stuck on Lastation for an indiscernible amount of time.

"Why, loyal sidekick, must you return to Lowee in such a timely fashion? Surely there's no rush?" Nisa asked, attempting to calm her friend down.

Gust shook her head, her hat billowing in the cool night wind. "You don't understand! There are lots of dragons in Lowee right now; Very interesting specimens! Gust can not miss out on opportunity!"

"Hmm... Well, I'm sure they'll be there tomorrow; We can find you a way back then! For now... We need to find a place to stay..." Before Gust could reply with anything, Nisa took her by the hand and wandered around town, searching for a suitable place to take a guest. After a short while, she came across a flashy hotel.

"Nisa, where are we going?" The alchemist groaned, feeling exhausted from running around the dark streets.

"Look, Gust: A brilliant hotel just around the bend! Why, it's even named 'Love'! Could we find a better dwelling than this!?" Nisa grew excited upon seeing the building adorned with a bright sign that read only 'Love Hotel'... If only her innocent mind knew what that really meant; She could only figure that it meant you would fall in love with the building's room service...

"Um, Nisa... Maybe this place isn't such a good idea..." Gust tried to object, but the heroine of justice had made up her mind.

"C'mon, fair sidekick; Let's have more fun together!" The upholder of righteousness proclaimed, and pulled her best friend along as she ran into the building.

"...Gust isn't sure this is type of fun we should be having..."

And thus, the two ladies inadvertently(!) entered the highest-rated love hotel in all of Lastation!

In due time, the two girls were checked into a nice little room; Nisa, of course, failed to notice the smug looks the receptionist gave her the entire time...

On the way to their room, the friends passed two vending machines: One assumingly for snacks, and the other apparently for drinks. Nisa took out some money and purchased two juices for both herself and the alchemist, and entered their designated room.

The walls looked quite thick; Suffice to say, they were soundproof. In addition, the bed was, aptly enough, shaped like a large heart. Still, nothing clicked in the heroine's mind. "Ooh, how adorable! Isn't this the cutest bed you've ever seen, my dear friend!?"

"Y-Yeah... Real cute..." Gust was getting more and more uneasy, and took a large sip of her juice to calm herself down. "H-Hey, Nisa... What is this drink?"

"Why, that is apple juice, little Gust! I know how much you like it!" Nisa smiled, and she downed her juice in one huge gulp. "Man, this is some good juice! I'm gonna get some more; You want any?"

The alchemist thought for a second and shrugged. "Sure, Gust will have another."

"Great! I will return as fast as the setting sun!" The heroine sped out of the room.

"What does that even mean?" Gust moaned to herself. As she drank the apple juice, she began to feel... strange. Maybe it was the whole atmosphere of the place, but she certainly felt more light-headed...

* * *

"You think he'll be okay in there? He won't be cold, will he?" Nepgeo asked, slight worry in her voice.

"Nah, that little runt'll be fine. It's a mouse-hole, afterall!" Underling assured, a sly smile on her face. Upon making it back to the love hotel, the two girls realized that they couldn't take Pirachu into the room with them (They needed privacy). Luckily, the main lobby had a cliché little hidden mouse-hole that they figured would be a nice domain for the rat to stay in. Pirachu, however, had not been amused.

"You can't make me stay in here, Chump! This is so insensitive! I am not a mere mouse! NOOO!"

"Ah, quit your whinin'. We'll pick ya up in the morning. Just get some sleep, or something." Linda sneered, then escorted the purple-haired imposter up to their room...

And that brings us to the present. The two girls held each other on the bed, just figuring out where to go from here.

"So... After all this, are you still gonna continue working for ASIC?" Nepgeo asked, concern in her eyes.

"Don't know... I've never really been good at anything else before..." A long silence permeated over the room, when the imposter-Nepgear spoke again.

"Hey, how did you get all caught up in this ASIC business in the first place?"

"Hmm... Well, I don't know, it just sorta happened, I guess?" Underling looked down in thought, recalling the first time she ever met CFW Magic. "My family kinda sucked the big one, so I tried to stay outta the house as much as possible. Then one day, I met Magic, and... she was just so strong and so cool, y'know? I used to think she was some kind of superhero..." The green-haired woman's eyes looked somewhat... somber.

Nepgeo stroked Underling's cheek, and wore a slightly interested smile. "How close were you and Magic?"

Linda's face reddened, and she turned her head away. "W-W-What are you asking!?... I-I idolized her... She could do no wrong in my eyes..." The ASIC member's eyes began to tear up as she thought about the good old days, when Magic wasn't merely a pawn in Arfoire's schemes... Hm, but had she ever not been a pawn? Everyone that comprised ASIC had been used as mere playthings...

"H-Hey! Are you crying! C'mon, I've done enough of that today!" Nepgeo remarked, and she quickly kissed the girl lying next to her. Underling wiped her eyes, and blushed harder.

"I'm... I'm not crying! I..." She couldn't hide her feelings, though. All through her life, Underling had been forced to suppress any and all emotions that could be viewed as weak. Being in a tender spot like this, however, had weakened the wall she had built around her heart. She was finally opening up.

"It's all right... Hey, don't give up on Magic, alright!" The purple-haired imposter said with a determined expression on her face. Linda raised an eyebrow, and took a sobbing breath.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Magic's your idol, right? Well, then shouldn't you go and help her?" At that question, Linda cocked her head in confusion. Nepgeo continued. "CFW Magic is under Arfoire's control, right? Well, that doesn't have to mean she's gone! I say we go on a little adventure and rescue her! Worst comes to worst, we'll at least let her move on, instead of having to live on inside that monster!"

Nepgeo's words reinvigorated Linda's spirit. Yeah, why was she sitting here moping around? Instead, she should be figuring out a way to free Magic from her spiritual bindings! "Y-You're right; Magic deserves our help! Maybe there is something we can do..." Newly restored, Underling ran her hand through the imposter's hair. "Thank's Geo... I don't know how ya do it, but you always find a way to make me... I dunno... happy..."

"Hehe... It's my pleasure, Lindy..." Another soft kiss, and Linda noticed a certain spark in Nepgeo's eyes. "Hey, Lindy... Can I ask you something?"

"Whuh? Uh, sure."

"Well, um... The thing is, I've never asked another girl this before... But, uh, w-would you be interested in being my... official girlfriend?" The purple-haired girl was blushing like Linda had never seen before; It was kinda cute, if you ask me... D-Don't look at me like that!

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Your girlfriend!? But... But what about your job, or whatever? Didn't you virtually make a career on sleepin' with random ladies!? I was expecting to be just another conquest..." Underling's heart went all aflutter; She had never felt like this before.

"Well, I've been thinkin', and... I realize that I don't just want you to be another woman to me. I-I want there to be something more between us!" Nepgeo saw the uncertainty in Linda's eyes, and blushed harder. "I-It's okay if you say no! This... may be a bit sudden, after all..."

Suddenly, Underling planted a kiss right on the imposter's lips. When the two seperated, she smiled. "...Do you know how long I've been searching for you? Now that I've found out that you're the girl I've been obsessed with all these years, there's no way in hell I'm gonna let you go!" Another quick kiss. "My only gripe is that... I should have asked YOU first: Nepgeo... Will you be my girlfriend?"

Nepgeo's eyes began to well up, and she hugged the green-haired woman with a huge grin. "O-Of course, Lindy! Nothing would make me happier!"

And so the two let it sink in that they were now in an official relationship. Sure, Nepgeo was an 'outsider', but Linda didn't care, and I guess neither should we...

However, their night was not done yet...

After a heavy kissing session, Nepgeo rubbed her cheek against Linda's. "Lindddddyyyy... Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Well, now that we're girlfriend and... girlfriend, why don't we celebrate~?"

Underling blushed, assuming she knew what the girl was suggesting. "Uh, sure... P-P-Pardon me, but, uh, I thought it was a given that we were gonna do... that again... Especially after today..."

The purple-haired imposter grinned even more slyly. "Oh no, Linda... I'm talking about an even more special time... This time, how about we use..." The girl whispered the rest into her lover's ear, and Underling's face flashed a deep crimson almost instantly.

"Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha!? Do t-t-t-t-t-t-that!?"

"Tee hee... You can get one in the vending machine down the hall... It comes in a private box too, just to prevent any passer-bys from figuring out what it is you're buyin'~..."

"W-Why would this place have a vending machine that sells... that?" Embarrassment was clear on Linda's face; Any innocence she may have had left was going out the window.

"We're in a love hotel, silly; They even have vending machines that sell fruity wine!" Nepgeo was clearly having fun. "So, what do you say? I mean, if you're scared, we don't have to use one..."

"I-I'm not scared, just... surprised, is all... I never expected any place to just dispense something like that..." Linda sighed. "Sure, I-I-I'll pick one up..."

"Ah! Great, Lindy! I promise you won't be disappointed!" Nepgeo winked as Underling slowly got out of bed. "There's a machine right down the hall. Just pay and key in '42007'; Don't worry, it's not expensive at all... especially for the time it's gonna provide us~"

"O-Okay... I'll be right back... honey..." Embarrassed at what she just said, Linda ran out of the room...

* * *

She made her way to the vending machines, and was surprised that they both looked rather innocent. In fact, the one that sold the... censored item she was looking for inherently looked just like a simple snack food vendor. "Ok, so I pay here... Now I enter '4...2...0...0...7...' There, all done."

After finishing the process, a semi-large cardboard box was dispensed. Curious, Underling slightly cracked it open and blushed furiously. "T-This is certainly it... Oh man, I hope I can handle this..."

"Handle what, Underlingy~?" A voice rang out from behind the ASIC member.

Linda screamed and instantly slammed the box shut. Swiftly turning around, she saw Nisa's slightly reddened face. "W-W-W-Wha? Flatty? Why the hell are you here?"

The heroine reached into her pocket, pulled out some more cash, and purchased two more drinks. "Oh, y'know... Just relaxin' aftah a hard day's work..." She slurred, and drank from one of the bottles. "This place has some great juice, Underlingy! You should try some~"

"Uh, you okay...?" Underling was quite confused. If what Nepgeo had said was true, then that wasn't actually a juice vendor... Oh well; The ASIC member wasn't going to say anything about it.

Nisa squinted her eyes at the box in Linda's hands. "Hey! What do you have there, little Underwingy?"

"'Underwingy?'... Uh, this? It's, um... pie! Yeah, that's it... Pie..." Quick thinkin' there, Linda.

"Hmm... What kinda pie?" Nisa was getting more curious... and hungry...

"Uh... Juicy pie! I don't know! Just... Look, I gotta get goin'! I'll, uh, see ya around, or some shit..." With that, Linda ran back to her room.

"Hm... I could go for some juicy pie right about now..." Nisa pulled out some more cash and searched the snack machine for the specific box. "Aha, that looks like the box she had! Tasty pie, here comes the heroine of justice!" And so, Nisa inadvertently purchased the same censored object that Underling did...

When Linda returned to her room, she nearly fainted at the sight that greeted her: Nepgeo was clad in nothing but stockings and the necklace with the orange-haired moe on it. What, you didn't think the author forgot about that little trinket, did you?

"Did you get the goods, Lindy?" The purple-haired imposter seductively questioned.

Underling gulped. "S-Sure did... It's right here..." The ASIC member reached into the box and bashfully pulled out the censored object.

"Ah, that's even better than I thought! Bring it on closer... Come on, don't be shy~"

The green-haired girl slowly stepped closer to Nepgeo, and shook the object around. "So, uh, this comes with a harness, or something... I guess I wrap it around your, um, waist then...?" Never before had she felt so odd.

The imposter Nepgear grinned teasingly. "My my... You catch on so fast... I thought this was your first time with something like this~"

"T-This is! It's just... anyone could figure out how to use it. Hell, even a drunk bastard can figure it out in their sleep!"

Nepgeo pulled her new girlfriend in closer, and lovingly breathed softly into her ear. In response, Linda lightly attached the censored object around her lover's waist.

"I love you, Linda... I've never loved another woman as much as I love you..."

Underling was speechless, and could only kiss her girlfriend as passionately as she could. Was this truly love? Is this what love felt like? Looked like? Tasted like?

At this time, Linda had no clue what the answer to those questions were. What she did know, however, is that she wouldn't trade in these sensations for the world...

Nepgeo broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against her lover's. "Now, get ready Linda; Tonight, I make you a woman." And that, she did...

...

Down the hall, Nisa stumbled back into her room, feeling incredibly dizzy. "Gusty... I brought some pie!" The heroine tossed the box next to the alchemist and began rolling around the bed.

"Pie? Let Gust see..." Gust slowly tugged the box open.

"Y'know... I don't think this is apple juice, dear Gusty... It does taste amazing, though..." Nisa remarked as she finished yet another bottle of juice. Having rolled around the sheets so frantically, her clothing was quite disheveled. I... don't mean to stare, but the large zipper of her daily attire had nearly come undone...

"What the...? Why did you get...this?" Gust questioned, tilting her head to the side as she scrutinized the foreign object in the box.

Nisa, seeing that the cardboard box with 'pie' was now opened, got excited. "Ooh! Don't hog it all, dear sidekicky! Give me some, Gusty! Give it to me~"

The alchemist looked at the censored object, then up at Nisa, then back at the censored object. Perhaps it was the drink that clearly wasn't apple juice; Perhaps it was the mood of the room they were staying in; Or maybe, just maybe, the atmosphere of this whole fanfiction was finally getting to her. Whatever the case, Gust felt a strange, primitive sensation come over her. Seeing Nisa, her annoyingly boisterous best friend, bouncing up and down in her unzipped clothing, and the large censored object in the box, made the alchemist feel like she never had before.

Gust, head quite fogged, pulled out the censored object and slid closer to Nisa. The heroine gave her an extremely childish-looking face. "Please give it to me, Gusty~"

"Oh, Gust will give it to you, all right..."

* * *

...Well, that was... something... Uh, the scenes that would have followed have been redacted... Again, if it so tickles your fancy, just write-up your own version of what followed; I'm sure you'll get more supporters than this story ever will...

...But isn't it ironic: This whole story opened with Nisa being shocked at seeing her companions in adult situations; But now, very close to the ending, the heroine of justice herself is in an adult situation in a league all its own. How... poetic.

...Oh, I hope I won't get any flak for the ethics of what just happened... Oh well, bring it on, I say!

...

Uhm... Moving on...

"Um, IF... I assume I missed a lot since I didn't disappear with you, but... how much of what happened today made any sense?" 5pb asked as she leaned her head against the brunette's shoulder. They were standing against the railing on the ship headed back for Leanbox, breathing in the crisp night air.

"Eh... I picked some things up, but it's way too convoluted to explain accurately. I mean, it was all like a cross between a Gainax Ending and Trippy Finale Syndrome... though I have a feeling it's not the last of all this crap." Guess this confirms it: IF is a troper!

"Hm... Well, if anything else happens... I want to help you this time." The pop idol resolved with an intent expression. IF could only smile and nod.

"Thanks Lyree." The battle-hardened veteran wrapped her arm around her girlfriend and closed her eyes.

5pb, though, had one final question. "Iffy... Who was that girl back in the gym? The one with the dragon around her neck?"

IF smiled. "That was Red... It's a long story, but... she's the one who saved our lives back there. Without her, we never would have gotten back home."

Lyrica, looking concerned, stared out at the dark horizon. "W-What happened to her?"

"I'm not too sure... but I promised to help her out someday... I don't know what I need to do, but I'll make it up to her somehow..." The brunette declared, fire in her eyes.

"Well, I'll go wherever you go, IF..." Lyrica smiled.

IF blushed, and bashfully scratched the back of her head. "Lyree... I love you so much. I... I can't apologise enough for my earlier behavior! I was such a stupid jerk... I don't deserve someone as perfect as you..." Huh, seems IF gets self-deprecating whenever she gets embarrassed.

"Iffy, don't say that! Truth is... I'm the one who doesn't deserve you." 5pb placed her hand upon the brunette's cheek. "You're so strong and smart... I feel safe just standing next to you. You... You've made me more confident in myself than I've ever been before... I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me."

"L-Lyree..." IF couldn't hide her embarrassment; Being praised by someone as amazing as 5pb was too much for her to handle. "...I love you."

"I love you, Iffy." With that, the two girls joined together in a kiss for the ages. After a few minutes of that, the two girls broke apart for air. Lyrica shot a suggestive smile at IF, and the brunette grinned back. In a flash, the battle-hardened veteran picked up the pop idol bridal style, and carried her inside the ship...

Over the next few minutes, the two girlfriends tenderly kissed each other on their mattress, and made themselves comfortable... Yeah, I see where this is going...

The two girls smiled at each other lovingly, and 5pb whispered into the battle-hardened veteran's ears. "I-IF... Take me, IF. Make me yours~"

And that's what IF did.

* * *

"Kei... I have something that I've... been meaning to tell you for the longest time now..." Noire declared, desperately trying to hide her uneasiness. We have once again returned to this scene; There's still one final matter to deal with...

The oracle considered the goddess' words with her usual blank expression. "...This doesn't concern national security, does it? If so, then I would be weary with what you reveal to me; There's only so much I can ignore."

"Wh-What? No, it's nothing like that!... Well, actually, it might be... But it's not too serious!" The tsundere was having trouble. She looked to Neptune for help, but the ditz was chasing a squiggle in the corner of her eye.

"I see. Go on."

"Ok, here goes..." Noire took a deep breath, and recited what she had forced herself to memorize: "I'll tell thee what, Kei; a Basilicom of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humor. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No. If a woman will be beaten with brains, she shall wear nothing handsome about her. In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it, and therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it. For woman is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion..."

Kei stared at Lady Black Heart for a long while, utterly stunned. As each second went by, Noire grew more and more nervous.

At long last, Lastation's oracle answered. "...What?"

Noire sighed. "Damn it, I should have known better than to recite your script, Neptune!"

The ditz, still chasing that darned squiggle, hollered back "Sorry Noiwey; Can't hear ya!"

At that moment, Histoire hovered into the room, as if to make the tsundere even more uncomfortable. "What is everyone talking about out here?"

"Ooh, Histy! Histy, me and Noire are telling Kei some pretty big news! You wanna listen?" Neptune cheered, and she immediately sprang to Noire's side as if she had been there the whole time. Apparently, she had caught the squiggle.

"Hm, news you say? Well, what is it?" Histoire smiled, and rested her chin on her hand.

Noire sighed. "Ok, let me just say it straight up: Kei, Histoire... Neptune and I are in love... And not only that, but w-we're engaged."

The room was disturbingly quiet for a long moment, and Lady Black Heart feared that she would break down and cry. She just couldn't take the anticipation...

But, right when she was at her worst, she felt someone's hand tighten around hers; Neptune's hand. The ditz happily looked at her lover and flashed an amazingly sincere smile. Noire smiled back, and swallowed her fears; Maybe it was time she actually followed what Neptune's random script had preached.

Kei stared at nothing in particular, clearly deep in thought... or was she? Now, I'm not an expert or anything, but it seems to me that the stoic oracle is merely... pretending to be debating the issue in her head...

Histy, meanwhile, winked at Neptune, and the ditz happily winked back. Noire, however, kept her eyes on her own oracle.

Finally, Kei gave her long-awaited... and long-feared... answer:

"Ok. Congratulations, you two."

Noire didn't realize what the answer meant for a moment, then instantly recoiled in shock. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wha? You're... You're ok with this!? You're not gonna say that it's impossible, or unethical, or whatnot!?"

Kei, still wearing her usual expression, simply shook her head. "While I do admit that two goddesses getting married is quite the unique scenario indeed, I do believe that something can be worked out. In any case... love is not something meant to be tampered with. If you two truly do love each other, than it is not my place to interfere." Having said that, the oracle nodded. "Now, if you don't mind, I must be getting back to my dwellings."

Neptune perked her head up. "Oh yeah! How is ol' Blawny doing? She still sick?"

"Blanc...? Oh, yes, pardon me; I did tell you she was sick, didn't I? ...She is doing better, though she may still be contagious." Another professional nod. "I must go check up on her now. Good night..." With that, Kei wandered back to her room.

"T-Thanks, Kei..." Noire graciously whispered, feeling her nerves subside.

Histoire clasped her hands together and smiled. "Oh my, I've never planned a wedding before! This will be so much fun! I promise I won't let you two down!"

"Aw, you could never disappoint us, Histy!"

As Neptune and Histoire continued to chat about the upcoming wedding, Lady Black Heart just stood in stunned silence. Eventually, Planeptune's oracle wished the girls good night as well, and went off to join the already-sleeping Compa... Sorry Compa fans; Once again, maybe she'll be a main character in a future installment...

Hmm... D'you suppose Histoire ever figured out that riddle? ...Oh, you've forgotten about that already? Forget I said anything...

"I-I can't believe Kei was alright with it. I mean, I've been scared straight this whole time!" Noire exclaimed as she and Neptune wandered back to their room.

"It is kinda strange... Maybe she knows what you were goin' through... Uh oh. What if-" The ditz brought her face close to the tsundere's ear so she could dramatically whisper, "-Kei has finally developed feelings! Oh man; That means the robot invasion is only a few weeks away! I don't want to turn into a robot, Noiwey!"

"S-Shut up! Kei is not a robot... But, jeez! I've been worried sick over telling her, and yet she barely reacts to the news at all! I made such a huge fuss over absolutely nothing!"

"Well, now ya don't have to worry anymore, Noiwey! Robot-Kei approves of my awesome little self; I'm the best girlfriend, like, ever; and Adrian isn't around to creep you out anymore. Things are awesome right now!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Hm, what did happen to Adrian, anyways? I knocked him out pretty hard, but I don't think anything was done to him beyond that..." Noire suddenly felt as if a dark presence was watching over them, but the ditz instantly caused the feeling to disappear.

"Ah, who cares? If Aidrey shows up again, I'll give him the ol' Nepu Nepu Shuffle!"

"...Isn't that one of your dance moves? ...Oh, who cares; Don't answer that..." And with that, both engaged goddesses returned to their room, amazed at just how well things turned out. I guess Noire made much ado about nothing, wouldn't you say?

* * *

"Uni, aren't you cold? You should come lie down; We can snuggle, if you like." Nepgear cooed, smiling contentedly under the nice, warm blankets.

Lastation's CPU Candidate was out on her balcony, looking up at the moon. "Yeah, I'll be right there, Nepgear." The little tsundere could have sworn she saw a familiar silhouette against the backdrop of the large orb in the sky, but it had vanished before she got a good look.

"Oh well... Maybe I'm just tired..." Uni reasoned. She shrugged to herself and shut the door to the balcony. She proceeded to lie down next to her innocent girlfriend, and the two remained silent, taking in the tranquility of the moment...

Outside, a lone figure stood atop a hill overlooking the young tsundere's room. "Rest well, dear Uni; From this day forth, I shall dedicate my life to ensuring both you and your companions' safety. I do not know when the next calamity shall strike, but be it three years or three days from now, I will be there... Evil shall tremble before my burning blade of justice!" Just as soon as the figure had appeared, he was gone...

...

Back inside the house, Kei quietly snuck back into her room, and crawled into the already-occupied bed. Reaching out, the oracle tapped the bed's dweller lightly on the shoulder.

Blanc gave a slight yelp in surprise, but instantly lowered her defenses upon seeing who had joined her. "Oh, Kei... I didn't hear you come in."

"I've been practicing on my stealth skills... I am pretty sneaky, aren't I?"

"I'll say..." Blanc looked at the oracle's face and did something most unusual: She smiled. "So, what's the news?"

Kei, wearing a rather smug expression, wrapped her arms around the goddess with earnest subtlety. "It seems that Lady Purple Heart and Lady Black Heart are engaged... Wedding preparations are in my near future."

"W-Wha? Those two hussies are marrying each other? How's that gonna work?"

"Truth be told, I'm not too sure... But for now, I'm putting my worries aside; We have time."

The two stoic women slowly grew closer together. "Still, it sounds crazy, doesn't it: The goddesses of two different landmasses falling in love. Heh... Stuff like that only happens in shitty stories." Blanc remarked.

"Yeah... Two lovers from different nations, both of whom are indispensable where they come from... How mad."

Their heads grew closer. "It makes you wonder if the world's gone totally nuts, doesn't it?"

"Not just nuts; Insane."

Their faces were only mere inches apart. Blanc smiled even wider; Truly an odd sight. "But, y'know... Maybe being one of the insane people isn't so bad..."

So close. "Heh... You may have a point... Maybe it is ok if all of us go a little crazy..." Kei breathed out.

"How about we go insane together?"

"You read my mind." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when Kei Jinguji and Lady White Heart joined together in a most passionate kiss... Oh my, this story is getting weird. Was this... supposed to happen?

...Was this all part of someone's grand scheme?

...Oh well, what can we do? Who are we to decide who can fall in love with who? Who can Judge whether one's feelings for another are natural or not?

We've learned today that love should not be played like a game, to be used merely as a tool for one's personal gain and gratification. In return, love shouldn't be suppressed in any regard. Emotions, like all things, do not always need rational explanations; Romance can blossom at any old-time, whether the inflicted is ready or not. To suppress such a basic force of nature should be considered a sin.

...But wait!... What about the dragons in Lowee? Why did that whole event happen? Has it been resolved? What the hell!?

...

*sigh* Oh well, I guess it can't be helped; Perhaps that will be addressed another day... Or, has it been answered already...?

Regardless, we're almost done, fair viewers... Why, I can see the endin-

* * *

**?: Awakening the Chaos(!)**

_"Heart... Please don't go! It's not safe!"_

Ugh... Here I am yet again... Floating around this nothingness like it was my own home. How truly pathetic...

_"I gotta do it, Saki; Those Celestial Stones won't gather 'emselves!"_

Where did I go so wrong? Why did my plan fail? My Operational Companions should have gathered me enough shippers to rule the world! I don't understand; I managed to temporarily change the world on several occasions, so I obviously had some power at my disposal!

_"B-But... I can't let you put your life in danger! What if... What if something happens to you?"_

...Damn it... The world should have been mine! Why, then, do those brats still live!?

_"H-Hey! Don't give me that look! I got the power of love on my side, Saki; Nothing can beat love!"_

...The power of love...? Hm, what if...! C-Could it be? All this time, I thought I could manipulate that pathetic little emotion, but perhaps it is much more dangerous than I could have ever imagined... Maybe playing with love is just as dangerous as playing with a raging flame.

_"H-Heart... If you're so intent on leaving, then... you leave me no choice."_

Love is a living, breathing thing... And unlike mere mortals, it can not bend so easily. Why, perhaps a hearty helping of love can even save one's very will... I must admit, this all sounds plausible. Even my very own soul fragments were not immune to love...

_"Saki! W-W-W-What are you doing?"_

Brave, Magic, Judge... They each should have been remorseless killing machines. Instead... they allowed themselves to be clouded by love's viscous power. As a result, they each began to question my orders... Sure, Magic has yet to attempt to free herself from my control, but I can only guess at how long it will be before she makes her disgusting feelings known...

_"Just... be q-quiet! I... I want to make my real feelings known... my love..."_

_"W-What do you mea- Mmph!"_

Heh... Oh, this scene takes me back... It's been so long since I came across my very first fanfiction scene. Why, I had been so confident in my plan back then...

You know what? I'm feeling a bit nostalgic right now; I'm going to go back to that first scene...

Ah, here we go; There is the dance-off going on. Man, this was all quite stupid, wasn't it?...

_"I certainly hope you can dance better than that, you swine!" Cao Cao sneered as he pulled off yet another 1080 degree spin._

_"Hmph... You wouldn't know decent moves if they bit you on your hindquarters!" Lu Bu roared back, and did a massive split._

...So, where do I go from here? I will need another plan...

"Ooh! Does that mean we can finally get some tender maidens in this boooooring place!?"

...Oh, dear God, no... Anyone but him...

"Trick... What are you doing here? I thought we agreed that you would remain silent for the duration of... forever." I sure hate him... If only he wasn't my last truly loyal subject, I would decimate him.

"I got bored! You promised me some nubile girls to play with! Where are my maidens!?"

"Ugh... Soon, alright! Now, just leave me be... I need to think..." Trick growled in discontent at my words, but returned to the inner recesses of my mind... Wow, it actually makes me nauseous to realize he is a part of me.

Anyways... Hm, thinking back on it, my entire scheme hinged on the pathetic actions of a bunch of ignorant hussies. It was miraculous that it made it anywhere...

Maybe I went about this the wrong way... I built a script from nothing; There were no foundations whatsoever.

_"Please, you two... This senseless fighting has gone on long enough!" Ah, this is when Liu Bei takes a stand. "Allow me to awe you with my benevolent moves!" Hmm... Such a weird way to trash historical fiction..._

...! Why, I do believe I have struck gold... What if, instead of coaxing those idiots into a plot that I visualized from scratch, I merely use the chaos in the land to my advantage? Those goddess skanks have already activated the calamity trigger by falling in love... Maybe I can use the unrest this will cause in a new script! And this time, I will just have to give it all a little push, and everything will fall into play. Why, I do believe some of my OCs are still alive... Perhaps I can use them...

Heh heh... If I play my cards right, I can shape the chaos to better fit my own needs. Instead of writing a whole new scheme, I can merely... borrow... from an actual existing story... Yes, that's it! This new scenario will take those bitches through a complete rip-off of a classic tale! That way, I can keep them all in check...

...Now, I only need a story to choose...

_"Ha, you dogs call that dancing!? Let me show you how it's done..." Zhang Liao laughed as he rose to his feet, and began to shake his limbs at an alarmingly fast rate._

...Maybe the answer was right in front of me the whole time...

Heh heh heh... So far, I've been dealing with the daunting task of introducing a complicated plot to a simple story of the romantic comedy type...

Well, maybe it's time to usher in the continuum shift... If I want to rule, then there is but one thing I must do...

I'll need to change the genre...

...

* * *

**Epilogue: Koi Wo Game Ni Shinaide**

Two figures stood atop a dramatic battleground; A meeting place for derelict spirits. The fabled calamity trigger had led to this eventuality. The end of it all was swiftly approaching. By the end of this day, only one would remain standing, and that lone victor would determine everything.

The one on the left was a mysterious samurai-esque figure clad entirely in white and black armor, with numerous eyes spaced about. The oddest aspect of the enigma, however, was the absence of a face.

The right figure, contrarily, was clad in a classy black suit, and wore a slimy grin at all times. He had green hair, and gave off the essence of a snake. Only the truly dense would think he was a good guy.

One represented lawful justice; the other represented pure chaos. They stared at each other for a few tense moments, when suddenly, both men sprang to life.

The ensuing match consisted of the samurai slicing through the air with his enormously long sword, while the snake dodged with little effort. The faceless representative of justice tried with all his might, but his blows never connected; The suited villain jumped about way too manickly.

The bad guy repeatedly shot out a snake-like chain at the armor-plated hero, damaging him immensely. The faceless man retorted with a large shockwave sent out from his blade, miraculously connecting with his opponent, and sending him flying across the arena. The suited man burst back up from the ground, and immediately continued his relentless assault. The hero could only guard so much. Eventually, he was launched a fair distance, as well.

The snake sauntered over to his opponent slowly, menacingly. The samurai launched one last attack, slicing upwards from his prostrate position. The green guy was hurled upwards, but recovered in midair. He cackled, and dashed forwards.

Catching the armored hero off-guard, he attempted a devastating super-kick...

This time, however, the faceless samurai was prepared. He unleashed a large spiritual shield, which captured the villain's finishing blow.

In a flash, our one and only hope took his sword and proceeded to slash the villain straight to hell; The entire screen filled with blade marks until it was entirely covered.

The clear hero looked at the destroyed villain and sheathed his blade. He had taken the day; Justice was restored once more.

"Fakumen wins!" Cried an unseen voice from somewhere in the heavens.

"YESSSSS!" Noire hollered in sweet, sweet satisfaction as she stared at the screen; She had finally won.

"Woah, you've gotten better, Noirey!... But, oh man, the hero's always supposed to win! It's no good if the bad guy gets the victory..." Neptune pouted as she cuddled against the tsundere's face.

Noire sighed, and quickly tackled the ditz. Neptune's eyes widened in surprise.

"N-Noire...! Wh-What are you doing?" Lady Purple Heart grew more intrigued by the second.

"Heh heh... I won, Neptune... Now, I'm in charge..." Lady Black Heart seductively whispered.

"A-Alright... I'mma cool with that... Love ya, Noire." Neptune happily sighed.

"And I love you, Neptune." With that, nothing else needed to be said! Behold, faithful viewers! See what love these two goddesses share! Why, it can bring the very world to its knees!

...Hark! Do you hear that? The closing bells are finally ringing; It's time to put this story to rest. Man, what a journey this has been!

Sure, it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine, and I'm sure there were times when you wished to strangle me through your screens, but surely you got something from this experience, right? I know I certainly have...

These past couple of days, we've seen forces of evil attempt to break beloved couples up purely for the hell of it. Even worse, the devious plans almost succeeded...

We've seen lovers quarrel over problems that shouldn't have existed, and those fights literally nearly spelled the end of the world. In the end, however... everything was resolved. All of the misunderstandings and miscommunications were set right, and everything is back to the way it should be; As you like it...

Hm, let me cap this all off with the words a wise man once proclaimed: "The more I know, the less I understand all the things I thought I knew; I'm learning again... I've been tryin' to get down to the heart of the matter, but my will gets weak... And my thoughts seem to scatter, but I think it's about... forgiveness... forgiveness..."

...What? What's with that strange look you're giving me again?... Yeah, I admit that isn't the best summative passage, but I'm tryin', ok?

*sigh*... Here, how's this: "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." That better? No?

Oh well... Once more, I thank all of you who stuck this out and made this journey with me all the way from its humble beginnings to its well-deserved end. I truly couldn't ask for anything more...

...Though I hear that things called **REVIEWS** are nice, too. Seems that those would be **GREATLY APPRECIATED**... But I have no clue what that means...

...So where do we go from here? Will these heroines be faced with another daunting trial? Only time will tell... But from the way I see it, these girls' adventures could never come to a true end. There will always be somebody to chronicle their continuing legacies... Though, who am I to Judge the possibility of future events?

...So, for now, faithful viewers, I bid you all one final hearty ado... Perhaps we shall cross paths again someday, in an adventure that isn't spurred on by my drastic indecision and general naïvety...

...And maybe one with chapters less than 30,000 words long...

...But until that day, I can only proclaim one thing: All's Well That Ends Well!

* * *

_**Go Love and Peace**_!


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